Wild One
by Gaaras1Girl
Summary: I'd known all along the path my life must take. Content to merely be an observer of our fantastical world, believing my place in life was unchangeable, and not ever wishing it were otherwise. But sometimes fate has something bigger in mind, because the smallest of events can change ones life when the smallest of words has already destroyed it. And sometimes, wild hearts are broken.
1. Chapter 1: First Meeting

**AN: This is a GaaraxOc fic. I know it starts with a cliché first chapter, but the story doesn't stay like this. I'm hoping this will be a new twist on an old idea. This chapter has been rewritten. 10-15-2012**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be doing this for free.**

**~Wild One~**

_"What's done to children, they will do to society."_

_-Dr. Karl Menninger_

**Chapter 1: First Meeting**

The dry wind howled in powerful gusts like a raging beast, filling the world below with awful moans and shrieks like the cries of a dying animal. Relentless, it blew sand in heavy waves over a little girl standing alone in the middle of the deserted street. Wringing her short hair she shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot. The sand below her feet crunched sharply, like the brittle cracking of eggshells that could only be heard between gusts. The soft scrapping of tiny grains gave little comfort to the timid child. Hours had passed since the sun had sunk beyond the lip of the horizon, and since that time the little girl had become hopelessly lost.

As she searched the empty road desperately for an exit back to the open desert another powerful gust of wind flung yet more sand into her already tender eyes. The fine grains slapped at her raw, exposed, face. Squealing in protest the tiny girl swung her head up and down, her short red-hair thrashing with every bob.

"I hate this place!" she whined stamping a tiny foot in protest and curling her fingers into fists. Giving the street a final glare she turned back the way she'd come, grumbling under her breath as she went.

XXXXXXXXX

Almost an hour had passed when the young redhead once more found herself staring forlornly at another dead-end. Slumping her shoulders she sighed, "I'm never going to find my way outta here." Tears of frustration gathered in her eyes as she stared up at the unfeeling stone wall. Wiping roughly at her tears she once again turned around and started heading back the way she'd came.

She had spent the better part of the night wandering the maze like twists and turns of the streets, and in that time had only managed to get herself even more hopelessly lost than she was before. Self doubt clouded her young mind, letting the cold, stiff, fingers of fear dig its way into her heart. Paranoia had began to take root, turning each shadow into a shapeless monster, each dry breath of wind into a howling beast coming to gobble her up. Those silent leviathans played at the edge of her vision, darting menacingly about, basking in the darkness that was their home. Wringing her hands she continued on, fighting back the urge to start running blindly through the dark alleyway. Headless of the debris that would almost certainty trip her and put her at the mercies of the imaginary creatures of the night.

"Are you lost?" a disembodied voice called from the shadows to her right.

With a strangled yelp the little girl jumped and nearly fell over. Staring into the darkness she stood her ground; clutching at the fabric of her shirt over her frantically pounding heart. "Whose t-there!? What do you w-want?" despite her stuttering she threw her shoulders back, hoping to make herself look bigger and tougher than she actually felt.

"My name's Gaara, and I've watched you pass by here. Three times."

She could feel her heart sinking to her feet upon learning just how lost she had been this whole time. "Three times?" chewing on her lip she paused, "I really already went this way three times?"

"Yeah, if you're lost…maybe…maybe I can help you," the shy voice sounded oddly hopeful.

The girl cocked her head to the side in thought. Realizing this could be her best chance for finding her way back. "Okay, Gaara, come out where I can see you."

A boy about her size and age stepped slowly from the shadows of the alley with his eyes downcast. His skin was so pale he seemed to be almost luminescent in the dim moonlight. With a mess of reddish-brown hair and no eyebrows on his broad forehead he made for an unusual sight. But it was his eyes that stood out and drew her gaze as he brought his head up, timidly, to return her stare.

It was like looking up at the moon. His bright, sky blue, irises seemed to shine out from the deep obsidian rings that surrounded them. Like brilliant twin orbs that could only have been spun from the stars themselves. They drew her in, enchanting her with their ethereal glow.

Breaking our eye contact the boy turned his gaze to his feet. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

The red-head blinked owlishly, the trance she'd been in broken. "Huh…?"

"Your name…" Looking over his shoulder he leaned away from her. Obviously uncomfortable with the girls blatant staring, "You haven't said your name..." his voice trailed off quietly.

"Oh-sorry!" she eyed him cautiously one more time. Carefully considering what harm could possibly come from telling this strange-looking boy her name. Finding none she laughed to herself at her own silly fears, causing the boys eyes to widen, which in turn only made her giggle harder. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you I promise," she smiled reassuringly when she noticed that her mirth was causing him to glare at the ground. "My name's Kida." She stuck her pudgy hand out to him.

Blinking in surprise his brow furled as he stared at her offered hand as though he'd never seen one like it before.

Huffing she blew a stray curl away from her face. "You're supposed to shake it, Silly."

Glancing back at her he slowly took her hand into his own gently, "Hello, Kida!" he said as his face split into an adorable, toothy smile.

XXXXXXXXX

19 days later

"Gaara!" Kida called out as she skipped to catch up to her friend. "Hey, Gaara, wait up!" she yelled to him as he continued to stalk down the empty streets. Picking up her pace she quickly caught up to him and walked at his side in silence for a few moments. Choosing to simply enjoy his company quietly rather than try to broach the subject of the days earlier incident. She'd seen from afar the events that had taken place at the playground earlier, and she knew how badly it hurt him when the other kids ran away.

She frowned at the ground as she tried to think of ways to console her new best friend. Her young mind working furiously for any small scrap of comfort she could offer. Kida sighed into the night, briefly wondering if her ears would start to smoke from the strain. Shaking her head to clear her wandering thoughts Kida looked back up to her companion; having decided to just start talking and hope for the best.

"Hey, Gaara I'm…I'm sorry about what happened at the playground today, I saw most of it. I was gonna see if you were okay but you left with your uncle," Kida paused as Gaara's shoulders twitched at the mention of Yashamaru. "I looked for you after that, but I couldn't find you anywhere. It was like you just disappeared or something. Where'd you go anyway? I went all over Suna looking for you, ya know. I was starting to think you were avoiding me," she said with a playful laugh, but Gaara just kept on walking in silence.

"Hey, Gaara, are you even listening to me?" When he still didn't answer her she glared at the side of his head, "Hey, Gaara!" Kida reached out to grab his arm, but she was instead thrown to the ground by a wall of sand. "G-Gaara?" she gasped, confused as she watched him walk away from her without so much as a backward glance.

Jumping back to her feet Kida jogged to catch up. "Hey! What the heck's your problem, Gaara!? Why did you push me?" she snapped at him, but he just ignored her and kept walking as though she wasn't there. Kida's face flushed red with anger. "_Gaara! _I'm talking to _you!_" She jumped in front of him huffing.

He stopped and just stood there, the only movement an occasional quivering of his shoulders.

"Well, just what do you have to say for yourself? Huh? I know you did that on pur…pose?" Her voice trailed off as Gaara raised his head and looked at her for the first time that night. She stared in shock, for cut over his left eye in angry, still bleeding slashes was carved the kanji for love. The lacerations ran so deep that little glints of ivory bone could be seen past the flowing rivers of blood. Small, gory, bits of severed flesh still stuck to the puckered edges of the fresh wound. The whole right side of his face was bathed in blood, matting the shaggy hair that touched his cheek and forehead to his skin. The crimson liquid ran down his pale neck and soaked into the high collar of his shirt, staining the light fabric black in the weak light of the moon.

But that wasn't what made her breath catch in her throat. It was his eyes… Everything ceased to exist in the cold depths of his gaze. Time, space, warmth, nothing went untouched by his frigid blue orbs. Not even light, the full moon that had just been hanging overhead like a fat silver dollar in the sky was gone. Only darkness existed in this timeless wasteland. Like a black-hole Kida felt herself being pulled into the void. She drifted, cold, and weightless in the power of the hate in those demonic eyes.

It felt like he was sucking the marrow from her bones, the hope and happiness from her very heart. Kida wanted to take a gasp of air, she wanted to run…run before it was too late. Before she was trapped forever in this dissolute island of unfathomable rage. She tried to scream but she couldn't find her lungs, she couldn't breathe, frozen as she was. Kida could feel herself being lost in the evil eyes of the demon before her…

_No, not a demon…Gaara's eyes…his…my friend's eyes…_With that thought Kida felt reality slide back into focus. The moon once again hung overhead in the star filled sky, and the wind blew dryly at her face. Time moved back onto its unending march across eternity, and the ground was once more firm and gritty beneath her sandaled feet.

Where once his eyes were so soft and shy, Gaara's sad little moons, were now as cold and sharp as splinters of ice, and empty. So very, very, empty. Like the warm heart and soul of the sweet boy who used to reside there had been ripped out, kicking and screaming…

Lip curled back in disgust he sneered at her. "_What_ _do you want?"_

She flinched away from his harsh tone, it clawed at her ears like brittle, wooden fingers. The darkness in his voice seemed to grab at her, oily caressing her skin and sending a shiver of fear down her spine. "Gaara…what…what _happened_ to you?" she asked, biting back her instinctual fear, she reached up to touch his face but was stopped by a shackle of sand around her small wrist. "Wha-what?" she stammered confused and tried to take a step back from him.

"Don't…don't _ever _touch me again," he hissed leaning close to her face.

Wide-eyed she pulled back, away from him and his sands crushing grip, whimpering as it tightened its hold on her frail wrist. "Gaara, why…why are you doing this?"

Demented eyes glared daggers into her soul before he brought his face next to hers, growling into her ear, "Because, I _hate _you. I hate everything about you, your voice, your face, your eyes, your smell_. _I hate _all _of _you. You disgust me to my very core_. I hate _you _and _everyone else._"

His hot breath sent a cold chill down her trembling spine, and she could feel a drop of blood fall from his chin and land on her shoulder.

"Now…" he paused, pulling back to stare into her wide, hurt, eyes. Giving her a good, close, look at the ruptured veins in his own. "Get lost," he snapped as the sand shoved her to the ground knocking the air from her lungs.

She sat there on the sandy road in stunned silence, watching the boy she thought she knew walk slowly down the street, and disappear around a deserted corner. "Fine!" she snapped at the empty air as she stood. "If that's how you _really_ feel…then I _won't_ come back!" she screamed at the empty road before she turned and ran back to the village gates. Hot tears streamed down her round cheeks and fell silently to the sand below.

**AN: Well, what do you think? The pov changes to first person after this chapter, so it will be better then I promise you (I fail at third person). Also, the reason she was in Suna shall be explained much later, and no, she ****_isn't_**** alone. It just seems like it here.**


	2. Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter

**AN: In this story I'm putting them a bit older then they would be in cannon, Kida is eighteen and Gaara is nineteen, that way I'm not writing a romance with thirteen year-old kids. This story is now in first person as promised. This chapter has been rewritten: 10-17-2012**

_**Disclaimer: RAAWRRRRRRR! (Eats lawyer) Muhahahaa!**_

_"The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk."_

_-Jacqueline Schiff_

**Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter**

13 years later

I stretched lazily in my saddle and yawned, groaning as stiff joints popped in protest. After almost two weeks of travel I'd finally made it to the Leaf village, and I was more than ready for a good, long rest. Turning my face to the sun's warm rays I sighed as the soft breeze caught my hair and tickled my nose. The smells of roasted nuts, smoked fish, and fragrant spices reached me, making my mouth water in anticipation. _How long has it been since I could just go to the market and buy what I needed to make my dinner? Three, maybe four weeks now? _Shadow's sudden snort startled me from my musings. "Shush, easy now boy," I muttered soothingly to the black gelding while I rubbed his chubby neck.

Pulling him to a stop I took in the oblong clearing, there was a small tree that had long ago fallen across the path and ran perpendicular to a shallow river. The flowing water flashed silver in the bright noonday sun, and gurgled softly over the smooth river rocks that made up its bed. Smiling I patted Shadows hefty shoulder. "This will do just fine for our campsite, what do ya think, boy?" I asked as he eyed the clumps of grass that raggedly grew knee-high all along the creek bed. "I'll take your silence for a yes." I cheerfully dismounted and quickly unsaddled him so that he could be free to graze.

Tying up the now loose straps I slipped the heavy saddle off with its travel bags and gear all still attached. Carelessly dropping the heavy thing onto the rotted log, half covered in an emerald-green moss that was spongy to the touch. Pulling the pads down next I folded them over the saddle and its gear for protection before reaching up and taking the bridle off Shadows jughead.

"Okay big guy, I'm just gonna head off into town to grab a few things before I set up camp. Now I'm trusting you to not take off and leave me stranded here. Are you going to behave yourself? Hmmm?" I playfully slapped the horses rump as he walked off, already pointedly ignoring my existence the moment I slipped the bit from his mouth. Rolling my eyes I hung the discarded bridle on the saddle horn, saliva still dripping from the old, iron curb.

Smiling I dug through one of my bags and pulled out my tarnished leather wallet from where it sat, nestled deep in its hiding place. I rubbed my thumb across its smooth surface, polished with age, before slipping it into my back pocket. "Now then, I'll be back before you know it." _Though, to be honest, I could probably not come back at all and I doubt he would notice my absence until the seasons begun to change and he started getting cold. _I thought to myself with a good-hearted laugh.

Shadow snorted the gnats from his nose and itched his face aggressively against one foreleg before he returned to grazing, his short tail flicking up and down in irritation. Rolling my eyes again I gave him one last glance before setting out for the mile long hike that remained between myself and the village gates. I sighed in exasperation at the distance, but it was better than to try to walk through the crowded streets of the village all day, everyday.

As much as I missed having contact with other people, the presence of hundreds if not thousands of bodies all pressed into such a small space was suffocating to me. Even the thought of the noise of so many beings scratching against my ears made my head hurt. The constant barrage of humanity made me dizzy to even think of. I shook myself to clear my head, taking a deep breath of the damp mountain air to settle myself, enjoying the scent of crushed pine needles, moss, and fresh earth.

If the choices were between living out here under the trees and being cramped into some tiny hotel room the answer was obvious. Waking up half frozen to the rock-hard ground was better than waking up to room-service anyday, and cheaper. _If anyone were to ask for my opinion on the matter anyway..._

The chunin exams were starting in a few days, and the village was going to be filled to the rafters with ninja from everywhere imaginable coming to compete. Even nobles from the surrounding lands were coming to watch and bet on the outcome of the competitions, so even if I had wanted to, it would have been a wasted effort to try getting a room at any of the inns. To be honest, the exams were really the only reason I was here in the first place myself.

Sure, I also needed to find some odd jobs, seeing as what little funds I had left in my sad, threadbare, little wallet were nearly exhausted. After the last few weeks spent living in the mountains I needed to come down to restock on some supplies anyway, so why not stay for a little entertainment while I was here? Since I was on the outskirts of the Fire country when I had first heard the exams were coming up I had decided to take the main roads to The Village Hidden in the Leaves. At times I had even traveled with other people who were also headed for the city themselves.

_Strange though, that so many people knew where the Leaf village is. I mean wasn't it supposed to be _"hidden?" _I wonder if someone could explain it to me. I mean if anyone could find it then what does that mean for their "hidden" village? Some ninjas…they can't even keep their secret, secrets a secret! _I rubbed my temples, I was starting to give myself a headache again.

"Hello there."

Startled, I looked up to see a young guard standing by the village entrance. Apparently I had been lost in my own musings longer than I had thought. Sheepishly I waved to him as I passed through the high gates, and into the almost vacant streets. _Maybe I was earlier than I'd thought. _The village was the same as I remembered it from my previous visits; big and colorful with seemingly endless shops whichever way you looked. All of which were now, obviously, fairly crowded with noonday shoppers. _So this is where everybody is. I thought it was weird that no one was here.._

Once I'd traversed into the heart of the marketplace I had to weave through the crowds of people, careful not to tread on any of the children milling quickly through the legs of the adults. One particularly boisterous boy ran into my side, not even offering an apology before sprinting off, once more, after his friends. Smiling in understanding at the looks on the faces of what appeared to be his exasperated parents, I pushed on. And after a few more tightly packed venues the throngs of people began the thin as I drifted further into the outskirts of the plaza.

The business buildings in this part of town were much older, some with chipped paint and obviously rotting wood. Others had similarly sun-bleached appearance but with freshly potted flowers in their windowsills to bring back the appearance of youth. I smirked to myself at the comforting quaintness of it. These rundown old stores may not have as many goods to offer as the newer, more frequented ones, but that doesn't mean they didn't still posses their own charms. Personally, I rather liked the slower, quieter, pace of the older shops.

It only took a few more minutes of walking to find the building I was looking for. The short, dawn-yellow walls stood-out from between the darker green and brown painted faces of its two towering neighbors. Chips of crème colored acrylic flaked off of its once proud walls in patches, showing hints of a deep burgundy beneath the surface color. The splatters of red made the building look like a giant egg-yolk covered in flakes of paprika. The buildings ancient, white trimmed windows, sported empty planter boxes that, ironically, seemed to have been made into nests by the local birds.

Smiling I walked to the front-door and took hold of the handle, the knob felt warm and very old in my hand, and it turned sluggishly when I twisted it before the lightweight door all but fell open on its own. A bell above my head chimed pleasantly as I stepped in before the savory smell of roasting chicken hit me like a kick in the gut. I almost groaned as its warm, buttery, aroma filled my senses. My stomach knotted and my mouth filled with saliva as thoughts of biting into the steaming, juicy, white meat filled my mind. I could almost hear the flaking skin crunch and tear as I imagined biting into it...

Letting the aged door fall closed behind me I clenched my teeth and walked to the back of the store where I remembered the spices were. My shoes clunked loudly on the old wooden floor as I went and I could feel grit under my feet bite into the already varnished wood. Picking my way through the mostly sunlit isles I grabbed the basics that I would need if I wanted to cook something edible anytime soon: salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, a few cans of assorted foodstuff, a small bag of potatoes and another of rice and pasta, a few cups of instant noodles, a loaf of bread, and as a small treat I grabbed a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

_Just because I can't afford to spend all of my money on a chicken doesn't mean I'm _completely _broke. _I walked to the register, happy with my selection. At the counter I had to fight the urge to fidget as the elderly cashier slowly rang up my meager pile of foodstuff and piled it all carefully into a single bag. Handing her my money, and thankfully having exact change, I took the paper sack from her gratefully.

"Here you go, Sweetheart. Enjoy, and come back again soon," the little old women said warmly with a smile that lit up her wrinkled face.

"I will, ma'am, thank you!" I called over my shoulder as I quickly walked back out the door and away from the tortuously mouth-watering smell of roasting chicken. As soon as I was back out in the fresh air I took a deep, cleansing, breath. Washing the warm, delicious smell away from my senses before slowly making my way back to the village gates. Choosing to instead take a less crowded route than the first one.

I held my heavy bag snugly to my chest, listening to the brown paper crinkle softly as I breathed in and out. Its musty smell of compressed paper and dyes was oddly soothing, and the pressure of its rigid corners biting into the tender skin of my inner arms was a reassuring, solid weight. Relaxed, I looked up and watched the light breeze frisk the treetops as I walked thoughtlessly down the tightly compressed dirt road. Fluffy, white clouds moved leisurely across the sky, painting the ground below with slow-moving patches of shade. With a lazy sigh I tore my gaze away from the blue sky above and turned the corner with my eyes closed…and crashed directly into someone. My bag was knocked from my loose grip and fell gracelessly to the ground.

Embarrassed, I knelt swiftly to retrieve my groceries. "Sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going. Maybe I should start walking with my eyes actually _open,_" I rambled flustered while hastily trying to gather the things that had fallen from my bag. Throwing the last item back in haphazardly before looking back up blushing with a despairing smile.

"I kinda tend to do that a…lot…" I couldn't believe what I was seeing, it was like my brain was trying to process my thoughts but couldn't make any of the right connections. Leaving my bag abandoned on the ground I stood up swiftly and tried to find something, anything, to say, but I might as well not have known how to speak. Instead, I just stood there, opening and closing my mouth like a gasping fish, because the person standing in front of me shouldn't, _couldn't_, be here. Yet there he was, in the flesh, with the same old mess of reddish-brown hair that fell in soft spikes around his nearly bone white face. The only real change was the ropey scar on his broad forehead. Cold, yet stunning blue eyes ringed in black-shadows stared down at, or maybe _through _me. Almost thirteen years had passed since the last time I'd seen the boy now standing before me, "Gaara?" I gasped breathlessly.

He blinked looking momentarily surprised, but the expression vanished as quickly as it had come. "Do I know you?" he asked in a bland, toneless voice that sent shivers down my spine.

"You…you don't remember? It's me, it's Kida." I pressed my hand to my chest.

He just looked down at me blankly, almost as though he had never seen me before in his life. Well, in _this_ life. I'm not so sure this strange, new Gaara, with the cold eyes and slouching posture could be considered the same quiet, dignified, boy from our childhood. The last memory I had of Gaara suddenly leaped to the forefront of my mind, and I was nearly thrown off-balance by the wave of white-hot fury that lashed without warning through me. Making my fingers itch and my heart pound erratically against my ribcage.

"Well I guess you wouldn't, since I'm not lying in the _dirt_ and you're not _threatening_ me," I snarled hotly as the anger in me grew with every breath that hissed through my clenched teeth. Crimson clouded the edges of my vision and my limbs trembled in echo to the waves of fury. I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid and violent. Leaning down quickly I grabbed my bag and shoved past him, as our shoulders brushed I felt Gaara shudder at the brief contact. Before I had taken a full step his hand snapped onto my left shoulder, fingers digging painfully into the bone with bruising intensity.

_"How dare you," _he growled and I could feel him shaking with his own thinly repressed rage.

_Oh…Oh-_hell _no! Big mistake. _Switching my grip on my package to hold it under one arm I smacked his hand away and turned to face him. "How dare _I? _How dare _you! _Just who do you think you _are!? _What the hell makes you think you can talk to me like that!?" I was now shaking a furious finger just under his nose.

His eyes were almost crossed as he stared in disbelief at my wagging finger. If I hadn't been so angry that I felt he should have burned to a crisp from the heat of my rage I might have found his expression comical. He instinctively shifted his weight back, caught off guard by my infuriated rant, and so I stepped even closer. _He is _not_ getting out of this!_ I was too pissed to end it there or anywhere near there for that matter.

"I can't believe all that wasted time I spent wanting to go back to Suna because I was worried about _you! _I spent weeks going through everything in my head trying to figure out what _I _had done wrong! In fact I _did_ go back two years ago, just to see if you were okay! But every time I asked someone where you were, or even mentioned your _name _everyone would either tell me to leave or that you were gone, so I just assumed that you were dead!"

I was panting from the heat of my anger as Gaara continued to stare. "Two years! _Two damn years,_ Gaara! The whole time I spent thinking I'd never know what happened to you, or if what happened when we were kids was my _f-fault!"_ my voice broke on the last word as hot, fat, tears filled my eyes. Taking a deep breath through my teeth I swallowed back the hurt feelings from my childhood. "And do you want to know the ironic part of it is?" I asked him.

"Now that I've let it go so I can stop stressing myself for something that, for all I know, didn't have anything to do with me and just forget about it, here you are. After I'd accepted that I'd never see you again. And do you want to know the best part, the _funny _part? Now that I've found you again," I leaned in close to his face and spat though my teeth. "_You don't know who I am. _Not even the slightest idea, I could be a complete stranger for all you know."

Even past his surprise it was obvious he was still clueless about who I was.

"Maybe you need a little reminder." Reaching up I grabbed a lock of his reddish hair.

He flinched away from my hand with a snarl as I snagged a strand that was falling just over his scar and gave it a gentle tug.

"Catch me if you can, Sand Boy," I said mimicking the airy voice of the child I was thirteen years ago. I watched as recognition flashed across his face, before I turned and walked away, leaving him to stand on the roadside alone like he had done to me all those many years ago.

**AN: Before you start with the "That was out of character for Gaara" I'd like to point out that if I had kept him ****_too much_**** 'In character' this is how it would have really went:**

_I shoved past him, and as our shoulders brushed I felt Gaara shudder at the brief contact. I hadn't taken a full step before his sand came up and crushed the life out of me, leaving me a bleeding, broken, pulp on the dirt road before he brushed his shoulder off, and walked down the street._

**See? Not much of a fic with my main character dead, now is it? I like to think that he was too confused by the crazy civilian girl yelling at him to know what to do with her before she ran off, but don't worry, he'll be in character from here on out, and it'll be explained in chapter four why he didn't kill her. On a side note her name is pronounced "Key-da" you know…for those of you who give a damn…**

**Edit: Wow...feeling much better about this chapter now that it's been at least partially redone. Could still use some work but at least this is a start. Anyway let me know if there are any mistakes I missed.**


	3. Chapter 3: Silent Musings

**AN: God...rewriting this chapter killed me. This was the most air-headed, mistake ridden thing I think I've ever written (doubtful, but it sure felt like it). So please, enjoy this new, and vastly improved, version of chapter three. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-4-13**

_"In quiet places, reason abounds."_

_-Adlai_

**Chapter 3: Silent Musing**

The moisture that had built in my eyes had turned into angry tears that slowly burned down my cheeks. I wiped away the fat gobs aggressively with an annoyed huff._ It's just not fair. I can't believe the nerve of that guy! Just who the heck does he think he is, anyway? Towering over me like that with that stupid blank look on his face. Albeit at five foot two that wasn't exactly hard to do, but he was _still_ a rude jackass..._

I took a deep breath to clear my head. _Who would have thought that the shy, timid, boy from my childhood would have grown into the admittedly attractive young man I'd just seen. _After what had just happened admitting, even if only to myself, that he was attractive was akin to rubbing salt in the proverbial wound, and I found myself growling in disgust at my own traitorous thoughts.

_But damn, who would have thought little Gaara would grow up so nice? Well, nice _looking_, anyway. _It was hard to compare this strange young man to the meek kid that had once put up with my incessant teasing. A small, choked, laugh escaped my lips when I thought of the first time I tugged a lock of his hair and challenged him to catch me without using his sand.

Those were some of my fondest childhood memories, the fleeting days that I'd spent with Gaara were wonderful. A smile still came to my face when I thought of all the mischief, and trouble, we got into._ Now those were the days._ Of all the adventures of my youth the ones with Gaara were still the most vivid to recall. The rest of my childhood was all a blur of the places my family and I had traveled to, with the faces of people I had met splashed in.

Every time my family drifted into the outskirts of the Wind country I'd felt an incessant pull towards the desert. Longing to see my long-lost friend once more. My smile faded as I wondered yet again just what had happened to him that night. As a child I'd blamed myself, but as an adult I knew better. I _couldn't_ have been the catalyst for his change of heart._..Could I?_

Passing back through the mammoth village gates I waved halfheartedly back at the guard, careful not to drop my bag again. When I was younger I'd imagined our reunion would be filled with hugs and apologies…_well so much for _that_ theory._ _I guess I might still be just a _little_ bit bitter about the last words we had before we went our separate ways. _"Of course, _that's_ about the biggest understatement of the century," I grumbled to myself with a grimace, rubbing at my temple with my free hand. _Damn my short temper, damn it to hell. I haven't had a chance to talk to him in years and my first thought was to yell at and berate him...smooth. _I huffed at myself in irritation.

It wasn't going to do any good to worry over the "could have beens" as though the way I'd handled things would have changed anything. Just because we were friends as kids, assuming that we hadn't changed since we were six years old, a laughable thought in itself, didn't mean we still were. Especially seeing as how things had ended between us. Regardless, I wasn't the same person I'd been back then, so it was idiotic to assume that Gaara would be. If our last encounter were any indication he _hated_ me anyway, and that was _before_ my immature outburst today.

Trudging down the beaten deer path I hugged the brown paper bag tightly to help stave off the stab of ire in my chest. When I was little I had missed him terribly. It would have been nice to talk to him again, to know how he's been these last few years. Even though I'm still pissed enough to bend a steel rod with my teeth, it was good to know that he was okay.

In any case, it was probably for the best that things stayed just as they are between us. I didn't want to add yet another friend that I would eventually have to leave behind when the time came. Never staying in any place for very long had already led to too many sad goodbyes, and the thought of willingly leaving behind my old partner in crime was a painful one. The relationship we'd had as children would have made things too complicated, and in any case, I planned on hitting the road again after the exams were over.

Yet I still found myself glaring at the ground and mentally kicking myself for my rash behavior with Gaara. _Jeez, what must he think of me now? _There he was, minding his own business, when _bam! _Here comes some crazy girl, that he hasn't seen since he was six, _slamming _into him. Wearing old, dirty, travel clothes, mud smudges on her face, and more than likely had leaves tangled in her hair. Who then proceeded to start yelling gibberish and shaking her finger at him like he was a child! He's a _ninja _for crying out loud! He could probably kill me with a toothpick if he wanted too and here I am _scolding_ him!

_I must have some sort of repressed deathwish…_

Sighing, I tore myself away from my own brooding thoughts and instead looked up to the almost overwhelming canopy above. The mighty, ancient, trees that gave Konoha its name all but blocked out the burning blue sky above. Their branches, more often than not, entangled with those of their neighbor, giving the impression that the trees were holding one another. Supporting both themselves and each other through the weight of the eons that they had seen. Standing as silent giants to watch as the world around them went on. I felt very small in their presence, shrunk down to the size of an ant in the shadows of the mighty monoliths above. As beautiful as this village was I would feel no urge to linger here, under the quiet guard of these giants.

Dizzy, I tore my gaze away and took deep, cleansing, breaths. The air itself was sweet, and each lungful brought with it the taste of damp earth, and crushed pine needles, filling my mouth with the flavors of the forest. Every step I took sent both the sound of crunching leaves and the soft snap of twigs breaking under my feet into the air. The sound was both rhythmic and soothing.

As frightening as the giant trees could be this place truly was stunning. Everything was just so _alive _here. This forest was one of the many wonders of our world. Like the vast oceans, the endless miles of the open plains that stretched farther than the eye could see, the sheer cliff faces of the mountains...the desert's star-studded night sky.

There was so much to see, so much beauty this world had to offer, if one only knew where to look. How anyone could choose to stay stagnate, forever binding themselves to one place with silly, close minded, patriotic views I will never understand. Sure, the shinobi in each nation often frequent other lands, but only briefly. One can't truly understand a place until you've actually lived there. You can't appreciate the sea until you've fished in her waters any more than you can see a mountains wonders from its base. To see its beauty, to hold its majesty in your hands you must climb its face, and stand tall from its highest peak.

_It's unfathomable to think that a person could find anything so important, so irreplaceable, in one place that they would bind themselves there...isn't it?_

I brushed the thought aside shaking my head with a sigh, and nearly tripped over my own feet when I was answered by a curious nicker from _behind_ me. Looking up from my feet I turned around to see Shadow staring at me with a mouthful of long river grass. My head must really be elsewhere to have so mindlessly passed my camp.

_Damn you Gaara, _I inwardly cursed. Blaming him for my wandering thoughts and wondering how far I would have went before realizing my mistake had Shadow not called to me.

"My hero, you just saved me from…well, nothing really, but thanks anyway," I said striding over to him. "And however shall I repay you for your brave deed?" I asked him as he poked at the bag in my arms with his muddy nose. "I know!" I laughed pulling out the package of cookies, tearing it open with my teeth and extracting two soft delicious looking chocolate-chip beauties. I held one up for shadow, who lipped it up and bobbed his head as he chewed, sending drool flying. "Eww, buddy you really are the world's biggest slob, ya know that right?"

Rolling my eyes I walked over to my saddle and dropped the bag down before taking a bite out of my own cookie. Groaning I closed my eyes as my teeth ground the soft, chocolaty bread into submission. The little chips seemed to melt the moment they hit my tongue filling my mouth with a tingling sensation, and the gooey sweetness of it weighed heavily on my tongue. O_h my god, this is amazing. It has been way too long since I've had a damn cookie._

Plopping down on the moss-covered riverbank I yanked my shoes off before slipping my feet into the cool waters. Allowing the gentle current to pull the aches from my limbs with a content sigh I ran my free hand gently over the plush moss while I savored my little chocolate studded wonder. _I'll admit,_ _civilization sure does have its perks._

Glancing down at my reflection in the smooth water caused me to groan aloud. It was worse than I thought it would be, _much _worse. My hair was heavy with grime and full of snarls and, as I'd feared, even had a few leaves and what appeared to be a small twig near my left ear. A dark streak of dirt ran from the right side of my chin down to the left of my collar-bone, while my freckles were hidden by the layers of dust that had settled on my face and dyed my skin on off brown. What looked like mud had caked around my eyes from the tears that had escaped them, leaving grimy tracks down my cheeks. _Wonderful, no wonder he didn't recognize me. Even I can't see what I look like under all this filth. Poor guy, it wasn't even his fault that he didn't know who I was._

Guilt and embarrassment twisted in my stomach turning the bite of cookie in my mouth to ash. Swallowing thickly I forced the last of it down._ I really should apologize to him if I get the chance. _I was going to be in the Leaf for a while so, in my down time it, wouldn't hurt to seek Gaara out. When we were little he had often told me he was going to become a ninja, and the Chuunin exams are about to begin, so it only made sense that that's why he is here too.

The sooner I apologized the sooner I could put my guilty conscience, and him, behind me. After I get settled in and make my camp I would dedicate some time to finding him, after that I'll be free to enjoy my stay that I'm going to go scampering back to him; he was still rude to me after all. I'll find Gaara on my own time, apologize, wish him luck and say goodbye, end of story. Not that I expect him to accept it, but it'll be one less thing on my conscience. Besides, it's not like it can hurt anything to try to patch things up between us…right?

**AN: Yeah I know there was no Gaara in this one, but I wanted to develop my oc a bit more. There's too many fics where it's 'love at first sight' and the only thing you know about the oc is their name (if you're lucky) I hope I made her believable, I just really want you guys to picture a real 'outdoorsy girl' who is, for lack of better words, a hermit.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Flower Kunoichi

**AN: This chapter was by far less painful to repair than the last, thank God for that! Anyway I hope you enjoy, and if you spot any mistakes ****_please_**** inform me and I'll make the necessary corrections. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-10-13**

"_If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."_

_-Chinese Epigram_

**Chapter 4: The Flower Kunoichi**

I awoke to a gray, chilly, mist that clung to my camp. Blanketing the damp ground like smoke it muffled the echoing cries of the morning birdsong. Shivering, I sat up and rubbed at my arms to fight back the raising goose-flesh. My toes ached from the frigid air, stiff and almost numb. My feet had stretched out past the reach of my old blanket with only a pair of shabby wool socks to protect them from exposure. Pulling them back under the blanket I crossed my legs beneath me, so that I was sitting on my half-frozen appendages. I watched my breath puff out in front of my face in little white clouds as I tried to get my bearings, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

As I sat there, waking up, the sun's slanted rays began to cut through the thin fog, casting the trees back into sharp relief. Now that I could see better I craned my head around looking for Shadow, making sure that he hadn't wandered off during the night. It didn't take long before I found him standing by the river, still eating. _Did he _ever _stop? The pig, it's no wonder that he's so fat. _Shaking my head I raised my eyes to the pinkening sky above, but the dense trees blocked most of it from my view. It was a shame to be up this early and not be able to at least watch the sunrise.

I stood, groaning, as my back cracked from the night of sleeping on the cold, hard, ground. Pulling the blanket up with me, I wrapped it around my bare, shivering, shoulders. I had stupidly washed what few pieces of clothing I owned in the river yesterday before my bath, and consequently had nothing dry enough to wear during the night, beside my socks. Which had led to the half-frozen state I was now in.

Running a hand through my now clean, and mercifully dry hair, I stepped from my cot and quickly tucked my feet into my dirty sneakers, wiggling my toes to work out their frozen stiffness. Walking over to the low branches where my cloths hung to dry I found, to my disgust, that almost all were still damp. Settling for the long suede-coat that had been the driest of my clothes, due to its wool interior, I tugged it on quickly, letting the blanket drop to the ground where it pooled around my feet.

The coat was, as expected, almost unbearably itchy and only covered down to my mid-thigh, but it was also _very _warm. So who cared that it made me want to rip my very hide off? I was warm and that was all that mattered, at least until my other clothes were dry. _Oh but it is so itchy! _It felt like fire ants were crawling all over my body, biting cruelly at my poor exposed skin. The only wise thing to do would be to start a fire, as soon I had one going not only would I be able to hang my clothes over it to help them dry faster, but I could also make some breakfast.

_Once that's done I can throw this damned thing into the fire and let it burn._ Sure, the coat was great for when it was cold out and it was _over_ other articles of clothing, but against my bare body it was almost unbearable. Its old, matted, insulation scraped against my bare flesh with all the tenderness of an SOS pad.

_Argh, it's so itchy!_

I sulked, trying to ignore the careless abrasion against my sensitive skin. _My lot in life isn't going to get any better by just standing here._ With that thought I left my camp to search the surrounding woods for suitable kindling. Mumbling quiet curses to myself as shivered my way through the damp underbrush.

XXXXXXXXXX

After swallowing the last bite of my breakfast I sat back with a content sigh.

_It's funny how a full stomach and dry, non-itchy clothes could change a person's whole outlook on life. _Toying boredly with my plate I stared absently at my small campfire, watching the flames as they curled about the charred twigs. Ash rose from the embers, dancing on invisible currents of air. There was nothing left to keep me from going back to the village now. I had not only washed my clothes and myself the day before, but I'd also cleaned every speck of dirt from both my tack and Shadow. Leaving no more reasons for me to procrastinate.

Sighing I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well, I guess I'd better get on with it then." Standing with a reluctant groan I kicked dirt onto my fire, extinguishing it. With slumped shoulders and dragging steps I slowly started making my way towards the village, kicking at rocks on the path as I went. "Maybe I won't even be able to find him. He probably doesn't even remember what happened yesterday and I'm doing this all for nothing," I lied sarcastically to myself.

XXXXXXXXXX

After four long, tedious, hours I had finally spotted him standing alone under a tree in one of the Leaf village's many parks. _I have found the boy who could not be found, I think I should get a freaking medal. _Taking my own sweet time I walked up to him as nonchalantly as I could. All the while I desperately racked my brain for something, anything, to say. I should have used the time I'd spent marching back and forth across the village to rehearse my apology. Now that I finally had Gaara in my sights my mind was drawing a complete and total blank._Well here goes nothing. _Chewing on the inside of my cheek I closed the remaining gap between us.

Suddenly nervous I stood there, staring at him awkwardly. _Now what? _Agitated, I shifted my weight from foot to foot. _Come on Kida, anytime now would be good. _In the silence that seemed to grow heavier by the moment I studied Gaara's back and the strange, bulky, object that was there. _What _is_ that huge, gourd like, thing strapped to him anyway? Was it there yesterday? And that smell...was that...was that _blood_? Why does it smell like blood? Was that stench really coming from Gaara? Why would he-_

"What do you want?"

Gaara's low, raspy, voice startled me from my thoughts. "Oh, I…uh, just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I didn't mean-"

"I don't care what you have to say. Now it would be wise for you to leave."

Placing my hands on my hips I took a deep breath. _Why did he have to start this already? _"Look, Gaara, I just came here to apologize, you can take it or leave it I don't give a damn either way, but-"

"I told you to _leave,_" he snarled turning around to look down at me with a bone chilling glare.

Narrowing my eyes I matched it the best I could, although I doubt it was anywhere near as menacing as his. What with him being so much taller, therefore looking down his nose at me. To be honest the contempt in his icy blue eyes was more than a little intimidating, but still I refused to back down. "What the hell is your problem with me?! I only wanted to say that I'm sorry and here you are snapping at me like a damn dog!"

His glare intensified. "I've been ordered not to kill anyone while I'm in the Leaf village, but that wont stop me if you don't go, _now,_" he said slowly, tasting his last word as it left his mouth.

_Did he…Did he really just _threaten_ me? _"You are just so _un-be-livable!_" I gritted through my teeth as both of my hands fisted at my sides. Furious I turned around and started back the way I'd come. _That miserable, Bastard! How dare he tell me what to...Hey wait a minute…I'm doing _exactly_ what he told me to do! _

_"Arghhh!"_ I turned back around and in a few steps was once more facing Gaara, who was no longer glaring, but looking rather stoically down at me. As though I were _boring _him. "I have _had _it with you Gaara! I'm not going to leave just because _you_ don't _want _me here. I'm leaving because _I _want to, ya hear! Now I'm gonna say this as civil as I can for the _last _time. I apologize for my behavior yesterday, it was rude, and you didn't deserve it, _then._"

He looked down his nose at me in contempt. "Hn, are you going now?"

My mouth popped open and hung there for a second before I regained my composure. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Goodbye, Gaara, and good luck in the exams," I snapped in a last-ditch effort to be nice. For a moment his eyes showed a brief spark of something before dimming once more back to their lifeless stare. I turned to leave almost as angry as I was yesterday and marched back towards the gates of the village. _Why can't I talk to him just once without yelling? Oh right, because he's Gaara and he started it first, _that's_ why._

XXXXXXXXXX

_"Argh!" _I kicked at a pine-cone that had the sheer _audacity _to trip me after the day I'd just had, and almost lost my balance as I missed the stupid thing. Fuming I turned to Shadow, who had looked up from his grazing to stare at me, his eyes rolling white. "Oh don't you _even _start with me right now!" I snapped at him.

With a snort he went back to eating, but continued to watch me out of the corner of one paranoid eye.

_How could today have gone so terribly, terribly wrong? Why couldn't just once things go as planned! Why? _"That's it! I don't care if I never see that miserable sand ninja again so long as I live!" Pacing back and forth from one end of my little clearing to the other, much to Shadow's irritation, I ranted to myself. "Wait, I take that back. I hope I _do_ see him one more time. In the finals, getting his butt whipped by some girl _half _his size! Yeah, that's right, and I hope she uses _flowers _to do it too. I want to see the pansy boy get his ass handed to him _via flower."_

_In fact I hope she uses poison Ivy flowers. I don't know if poison Ivy even has flowers, but if there is _any_ justice in this world they do, and my flower toting kunoichi will use them on Gaara. Then he'll itch like I had this morning, only he will be like that for _weeks. I chuckled darkly to myself, enjoying the malicious thought of Gaara covered in big, red, oozing splotches. "_Oh yes_, karma is_ sweet," _I hissed trying to hold back bouts of laughter.

Shadow looked back up at me with a loud snort, unaccustomed to the gleeful tone to my voice.

Glaring daggers at the plucky gelding I shook a fist in his direction. "Oh shut up, Shadow, this has nothing to do with you!"

He wisely trotted off a few yards before looking back at me over his shoulder. After a few moments he dropped his tense stance and went back to grazing, his tail whisking up and down in irritation.

I'm starting to think I should have named him "Old Faithful".

**AN: Okay there it is…Well I know you guys were probably expecting them to 'kiss and make up' but with Gaara's social issues and Kida's spit-fire personality I just **_**can't **_**see them getting along just yet. Before you decide not to review because of ooc Gaara remember that if I wrote him in character Kida would be dead, and so would Shadow just because he could kill him too, and who wants that? (Ignores Gaara's raised hand)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Unexpected Truce

**AN: I can't believe I ever posted this chapter the way it was. There was so much that irritated me here I wanted to scream. I was half tempted to take my OC out back and put her down Old Yeller style. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this vastly improved version of chapter five. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-12-13**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_"An ounce of apology is worth a pound of loneliness."_

-Joseph Joubert

**Chapter 5: The Unexpected Truce**

Two days had passed since I'd gone looking for the sand wielder of Suna and the urge to give him a _real_ black eye had finally faded. Having found a task to actively get out my pent-up aggression had definitely helped. _Translation: _I was too antsy to sit and fish, which meant I was now walking around in the middle of nowhere trying to find some game, a squirrel, a bird, or if I was lucky a fat rabbit. One could only live off cups of instant ramen for so long after all.

Hours had passed since I'd entered the deeper part of the woods, where in many places the trees and brush would have proven far too dense for Shadow to maneuver. Leaving me to stalk alone as quietly as I could through the dappled gloom, holding my bow and arrow ready. Hidden in the shadows I watched and waited in silence for the slightest sign of movement in the rare, larger than usual, gap of trees before me.

_There!_

Just as I had started to straighten from my crouch on the forest floor, a brown jack-rabbit had hopped from the roots of an old tree to sit in a single beam of light. It sat there tensely for a few moments with its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. Dust motes danced in fanatic swirls in the harsh ray of sun above the little hare's furry head. I notched an arrow, and the well polished wood creaked softly, like a whisper in my ear. The feathers tickled my cheek and the bow's taunt string bit into my fingers as I pulled it back and held my breath.

Taking careful aim, for if my shot strayed it would mean another night of noodles, I released my arrow only for it to miss by inches. Instead the shaft stuck itself in the dirt at an angle while my little target took off in a brown blur, but the little critter never made it more than a few feet. In a sudden flash of silver the rabbit fell dead with a kunai embedded in its skull.

Startled, I looked around, trying to find the source of the thrown knife. "What the hell?" I muttered turning my attention back to the rabbit and stumbled back with a muted yelp of surprise. Where moments ago no one had stood, there was now a figure watching me from the shadows of a mighty evergreen tree. A lopsided silhouette with a pair of familiar, ice colored, eyes. "Gaara?" I gasped, forgetting my past animosity towards the boy in my confusion.

He stared blankly at me for a moment before he walked forward and bent down with an almost lethargic grace to pick up the dead hare. Gaara held it by its ears in the air at eye level, turning it around slowly he watched the blood drip from the animal's little tongue before lowering it again to face me. "You missed," he drawled in his deep, scratchy, voice while pulling the blade from the little rabbit's head with a twist of his wrist. I had to hold back a shudder as I heard the crack of bone and squelch of what I can only assume was the animal's brain. "What are you doing here?" I asked tensely, not liking the way his thumb was rubbing along the bloody kunai.

He blatantly stared at me for several long seconds while tracing his thumb up and down the knife's metal handle before answering, "Following you."

A shiver crawled up my spine._ How did I not know that I wasn't alone? Has he been trailing me this whole time? _I watched, transfixed, as his hand went from rubbing the dagger's hilt to grasping it tightly, tendons straining against his ghostly pale wrist before relaxing his fist. Gripping, and then relaxing. Gripping then relaxing…gripping…relaxing…gripping… Breaking my focus from his hand I asked, "How _long_ have you been following me?"

He looked me straight in the eyes, letting his hand go limp on his weapon. "Awhile," he rasped.

I studied him, trying to figure out just what was going through that strange, sandy head of his. _Is he trying to scare me or is he trying to make amends? _I looked closely at his pasty face; regardless of what he was _trying _to do he was doing a very good job of creeping me out. He stood with his shoulders slumped over, almost as though the effort of standing was too much for him. The muggy darkness of the surrounding woods brought out the red tints in his hair, giving the impression that open gashes and blood was running down the sides of his broad forehead. Shrouded as he was in the darkness his already pale face looked like a skull. The black rings around his eyes created an impression of deep pits where nothing but his unnatural irises shinned, like some sort of ghoulish light.

All the while holding a dead rabbit in one hand and a bloody knife in the other…it was not the most comforting of sights. _I could be wrong about this though, it _could_only be my imagination. He was never very good a social interactions when we were kids after all. Who was to say if he had gotten any better at them now? Maybe I'm wasting my chance to accept his odd sort of apology? He did help me get my dinner after all, so why else would he be here?_

"So…are you hungry, Gaara?" My question seemed to confuse him. The slightest of twitches had crossed his brow and his shoulders seemed to straighten ever so slightly. He blinked, giving me a strange look before smoothing his features back into a mask. "Would you like some dinner?" I pressed, gesturing to the rabbit still dangling from his hand. It was only a few hours past noon, but by the time we trekked back to my camp and I finished cooking it would be dusk.

He looked at me, then the rabbit, then slowly back at me again. "Hn," he grunted.

"_Um_…was that a yes, or a _nooo_?"

He lowered his head till his chin was all but touching his chest and narrowed his eyes. Fixing me with a sinister glare.

"_Right_…" I cocked my head to the side, "I'll take that as a yes then…I think?"_Just what is his deal anyway? _"I'll cook it if you clean it, now come on. My camp is this way," I said turning back around the way I'd come. I had walked only a few steps before I heard a wet, ripping, sound followed by a soft splat. Stopping, I looked back over my shoulder to see Gaara still standing where I'd left him, only now the knife was held just below the dangling rabbit, and by his feet was a small pile of steaming organs. There was a faint, unsettling, glimmer of excitement in his pallid eyes as he stood there watching the blood drip.

_What the hell?_

"Uh, Gaara, are you coming?" I asked uncertainly. He snapped his attention back to me, like he'd forgotten that I was there. In the next instant he was standing less than a foot away from me. Startled, I stumbled back falling on my ass and nearly lost my grip on my bow. I stared up at him, trying to understand what had just happened. _How can anyone move that fast? _I hadn't even blinked and I still missed it. "Wha-" I stuttered, "H-How did you…how did you _do _that?" I asked dumbly, and of course, received only an answering glare.

Standing up shakily I dusted the dirt from myself before looking back up at his towering form, craning my neck back to look at his face._I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this height difference. Stupid, tall bastard. _Turning away from him I mentally sighed to myself. _It looks like I'm stuck with him, for now, so I might as well make the best of it. Oh, and try to get along with him, can't forget that part. How hard could it be? _I had to choke back a groan at the thought.

"Well come on, it's this way," I called to him and started back. _Just what the hell have I gotten myself into? _Looking back over my shoulder I snuck a glance at the broody boy following a few feet back, his footsteps far quieter than my own. In fact he wasn't making any noise at all. His silence was almost unsettling, like a lost ghost of the ether walking through the dark woods. It was as though he was floating just above the ground rather than walking over it. While every step I took the sound of crunching leaves, the pop of crushed acorns, and the snap of twigs could be heard resounding off the trees. Where with Gaara there was total and complete silence. _Damn, I must sound hideously loud to him, no wonder he was able to track me…_

XXXXXXX

As we sat by the fire waiting for our dinner I stared at Gaara. Waiting for him to break the silence that had fallen over us since we had started back to my camp. _Is he just not going to not say anything at all? Maybe _I _should try starting a conversation? No, because if he didn't talk back I'd just get mad again and we'd be right back where we started. Maybe I should poke him? No, he'd probably throw me into the nearest tree if I even tried. So that just leaves- _Gaara's cold eyes turned to meet mine with a steely glare. I raised a brow in response that only seemed to only irritate him farther. _Progress._

"What," he hissed with a sneer.

_Problem solved, he speaks._ "Nothing, I was just thinking about how I used to be taller than you, that's all," I lied smoothly with a smirk.

Gaara scowled. "You were never taller than me."

"Sure I was, you were probably just too short to remember it," I said cheerfully.

Gaara gave me a look. "Height has nothing to do with memory."

My smile broadened. _This boy doesn't know what he's getting himself into. _"Of course it does! Why do you think adults are called 'grownups' by little kids? Because when you're a grownup then you can remember things, that's why!"

He outright scowled at me now. "That doesn't make any sense."

_Oh, Gaara, don't play this game with me, for you shall lose. _"Yeah it does! Maybe you just need to grow some more!" He leaned away slightly, looking me up and down. I in turn, blinked my eyes at him…one at a time.

He stared at me in disbelief before twisting his face into a sneer "Are you mocking me?" He growled.

"Yes, but only a little. Why, is it pissing you off?" I questioned brightly.

He stood up from his seat on the fallen log, and I could hear a rustle coming from the gourd he'd leaned against the timber. "How dare you," his voice shook with rage.

"Because dare is so much more fun than truth!" It felt so nice to irritate him. _I can see why so many people are fond of revenge, it really is sweet._

He stopped his furious looming for a second, looking down at me confused. "What?"

"You see, I have no juicy or interesting secrets, so truth is just no fun! That means I have to go with dare to keep things from getting dull," I explained to him simply with a knowing nod. He sat back down slowly, watching me almost wearily out of the corner of one eye. _Hmm, Shadow does that too...I wonder if the problem is me._

Leaning forward I checked the rabbit, poking at it with a stick. It had turned a nice, deep, golden-brown. _Done, definitely done._ Taking the skewer that was holding our dinner over the fire and gently pulling it out, I dropped the hare onto a metal plate. I reached into my bag of cooking supplies that sat next to me, pulling out a jar of honey. The sweet nectar snapped and sizzled as I poured it carefully over the hot meat, filling the air with its mouth-watering aroma.

Setting it to the side I pulled the baked potatoes from the embers with a pair of tongs, dropping them on another plate before carefully removing the foil. Once that was done I cut them open, slathering the inside with butter, grated cheese, and sprinkled them with bacon bits. My stomach knotted in anticipation as I watched the cheese melt into the butter. Gaara studied me in silence as I finished preparing our meal. I cut us both large slices of meat, placing them on our plates with the potatoes before handing Gaara his. He took it slowly, staring at the odd-looking food before him.

Setting my plate on my lap the hot metal immediately warmed my thighs. I started eating quickly, the meat burned my mouth and throat, but was sweet and tender all the same. Watching Gaara from the corner of my eye I waited for him to start eating. He picked his fork up slowly, staring at it for a moment before slicing a small chunk of his potato and placing it gingerly in his mouth. He blinked before chewing thoughtfully and swallowed. "Well, what's the verdict?"

Gaara's eyes swept over to me, his gaze locking with my own for a moment before he closed them and returned his attention back to his food, "Hn."

I blinked, waiting for him to say more, but after he took a few more slow, deliberate, bites I had to assume that was all he was going to say. _Stay calm Kida, stay calm. Maybe he just doesn't like to talk when he's eating. It has nothing to do with him not liking my cooking. Yep nothing at all, just stay calm, relax and breathe in, now breathe out, breathe in, bre- _"Is there anything _wrong _with what I cooked?" I asked, my voice dripping with venom.

"No, it's acceptable." Gaara didn't bother looking at me as he spoke. He simply continued to eat as though I wasn't trying to burn a hole in the side of his head with my glare._What the hell! Here I am doing my best to be nice and he completely snubs me! _I took a deep, calming breath before returning too my dinner.

Nothing more was said while we ate and as soon as we had finished he stood. While strapping his gourd onto his back he stared down at me as he pulled the buckles tight. I followed suite standing at my own impressive height of just above five feet. "Well, thank you for joining me for dinner, it was…nice, seeing you again," I said struggling to find the right words to sum up this whole strange affair. "If you ever want to do this another time feel free to join me," I offered, fairly sure that he wouldn't accept the invitation.

"Hn," he grunted walking off a few feet before vanishing before my eyes. Startled I looked around trying to spot where he had gone. _Just how the _hell_does he do_ _that? _I sat back down, rubbing at my temples trying to stave off my budding headache. _This trip to the Leaf may be more interesting than I'd planned..._

**AN: I know Gaara's motives were unclear in this chapter, but they will be explained in the next, promise. If you spot any mistakes in this chapter please let me know.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Unexpected Encounter

_**Warning! **_**This chapter contains violence and language and is for mature readers only. This chapter is in Gaara's pov. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-13-13**

**Disclaimer. GG does not own Naruto, but Kida is hers.**

_"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with the pain."_

-James Baldwin

**Chapter 6: The Unexpected Encounter**

_Ta-_thunk…_Ta-_thunk…_Ta-_thunk…

My footsteps against the trees tapped out a steady, almost soothing, rhythm as I jumped aimlessly from branch to branch. The Leaf Village with its disgusting humans all cramped together, smiling and laughing, had finally driven me to the limits of my self-control. If one more person had walked by with their _friends _talking and giggling, like they had the right to _exist _in my presence, I would have crushed them into an unrecognizable _smear _across the nearest building. Treaty be _damned_.

So it was for the sake of my wavering, albeit questionable, mental health, and for the cockroach's that infested the Village Hidden in the Leaves, that I'd decided to get out of the _repulsive _little hell hole. If only for the time being. Of course my absence would not likely be noticed, so long as a body count wasn't started while I was "missing" no one cared where I went or what I did.

With a powerful chakra enhanced thrust I pushed off again and let myself glide through the trees. I hung suspended for a moment before stretching my legs out to catch the next branch and flung myself back into the empty air. The wind howling in my ears as I went. The steady, mindless, movement calmed me. With the crisp smell of the trees and damp earth below cleansing the stink of humanity from my sensitive nose, I felt the hallow numbness settle back into the pit of my stomach. Icing over the rage I'd experienced earlier from being surround by so many filthy humans, all milling around like sacks of meat, itching and plucking at my skin with their indecent heat. Their drumming heartbeats pounding against my ears, just _begging _to have the life squeezed out, _drop _by _crimson drop._

Halting my forward plunge, I pressed my hand against the trunk of the tree whose branch I'd stopped on. It's gritty bark was cool and damp to the touch, and my fingers sank into a layer of velvety moss. Closing my eyes I took deep, cleansing breaths, stopping myself before I got too excited. It wouldn't do to have my demon awakened with no one around for it to kill. With closed eyes I focused all my thoughts to what I scented in the air. Tasting my surroundings, from the pine needles crushed beneath my feet, to the musty smell of the birds roosting amongst the branches, and the girl standing on the ground below a few yards to my right.

Snapping my eyes back open I looked in the direction where the smell of a human was coming from. _I know that scent, but from where? _From among the thick undergrowth a blush of red-hair like a gout of flame caught my attention, a bow was held poised in the girls hands. _Her? What is _she _doing here? _There was no mistaking it, there was no mistaking _her_. It was Kida, the oddity with a death wish, but what is she doing out here?

Roughly following the angle of her poised arrow with my eyes it became apparent that she was aiming at some sort of small animal. Sitting obviously in a harsh glare of sunlight it nibbled on the sparse grass; a rabbit from the look of it, though it was fatter than the ones found in the desert. Even from where I stood it was plain to see that her aim was way off. I watched and waited to see if she would correct it, but was disappointed when she let her arrow fly even when she had no chance of hitting her target.

_Stupid girl._

I flung a kunai, hitting the small creature dead on with ease, then watched as the girl looked around frantically, trying to find my position. Mumbling to herself the stupid little bitch searched in nearly every place but where I _actually_ was. Wrinkling my nose at her idiocy I jumped down. Placing my feet carefully beneath me I touched down silently as a ghost. I stood there waiting for her to notice me and almost laughed when she did…_almost._

The girl stepped back, gasping. A flash of surprise crossed her features before quickly melting away as recognition set it. "Gaara?" she asked sounding like the confused little twit she was.

_What am I supposed to do with her now? _My bloodlust wasn't burning as strongly as it had been earlier, but that didn't mean that I was going to let her go. Though I doubted her blood would be satisfying, civilian blood rarely was. Aside from that, she honestly appeared to be as oblivious to the danger she was in as the rabbit had been, and to kill prey that wasn't afraid was frustrating. It was almost like having my sand crush an inanimate object, pointless and aggravating without the screams I needed to confirm my existence. Looking deep into her eyes I searched for even the slightest trace of fear. Anything that would make her death give me the fulfillment I craved. Her green orbs held many emotions that seemed to flicker in and out in a dizzying dance for dominance. Curiosity, wariness, confusion, surprise, and even a bit of wonder, but fear was not one of them.

Irritated, I stepped closer and bent slowly to pick up my kill, holding the furry little thing by its long ears. I looked at the dead animal, turning it slowly around to examine it from all angles. _Why was she trying to kill this creature anyway?_ Assuming she was _trying _to kill it at all. For all I knew she had no intention of harming the thing, with how off her aim had been who could even tell. I lowered my arm and turned my attention back to the girl. "You missed," I stated while pulling my knife from the animal's head. She gave a shudder at the skull's audible crack. Studying her I waited for the spark of fear that would signal her death, tracing my thumb along the kunai in impatience.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bravely with her eyes glued to my hand.

_So she is going to try to resist her fear, huh? Well then, I'll just have to break her fighting spirit. I'll frighten her until she has no choice but to give into her terror and run. Then I can chase her until her legs give out and she _begs _for her worthless life in sharp, pained, gasps. _"Following you," I lied watching her face closely and becoming annoyed when all I found there was confusion. She continued to stare at the kunai and the desire to drive it into her skull began to itch at my hand. I griped the knife tightly, not unlike the way that impatience was starting to grip at me. Forcing my hand to relax I waited, focusing on the cold weight of the kunai rather than the urge to throw it at the stupid girl.

Her shoulders tensed at my hand's slight movement and I felt a sadistic grin try to worm its way onto my lips. I griped the shaft again, almost bending the handle in my closed fist. Then, with excoriating slowness, I released my grip. Repeating the process several times while I watched as she became noticeably tenser with each twist of my fingers. "How _long_ have you been following me?" she asked snapping herself out of the trance, meeting my eyes with her own leafy green ones.

Fuming, I had to suppress a growl._ Why won't she just give up? Surely she must feel _some _fear in my presence so why does she fight it? Maybe I just need to push her a little farther. _"Awhile," I said letting my hand relax on the kunai. _It shouldn't take much to send this weak little civilian over the edge, and the less that I tried the sweeter her terror would be when it finally came. _She stared at me, her eyes tracing my form with intense scrutiny. _That's right, girl. Get a good, long look. Let it sink in, for this will be the last face you'll ever see. Well, maybe not _this _face, but _one _of my faces will be your _last.

I could almost feel her eyes as they made their way over me, _judging _me. It felt as though she was looking into the black, twisted, thing that was my soul. Giving the sensation of her plucking through my every thought and casting away bits and pieces of myself. The cold knot of contempt in my stomach melted away and turned into a white-hot fury that burned its way through my veins, turning my bones to ash. _What right did this lowly _civilian _have to sit there and decide what my worth was? Assuming that she knew the value of my existence. Look at her standing there, with her gaze roaming over me like the bitch had the right to even _look_ at me with those horrid, _filthy, _eyes._

My fingers itched with the desire to surround her small body in sand. To crush her with such _agonizing _slowness that she felt each organ _rupture _under the pressure. The need to let the girl feel her bones _snap _and break through her skin in angry fragmented spikes was suffocating. Dark whispers started to tickle my ears, speaking in words that only I could hear. _How much longer would she make me wait?_

Almost as though she had heard my thoughts her eyes snapped back to mine. I readied my hand to drop the kunai. Eager to unleash the golden waves of sand that would make the girls last moments as _painful _as possible_. _"So…are you hungry, Gaara?" her question seemed to snap my bloodlust away as swiftly as she had brought it on. Not even a spark of it remained in my sudden displacement. I blinked, trying to regain some sense of the conversation. "Would you like some dinner?" she asked pointing to the rabbit I still held.

I looked down at the animal that hung all but forgotten in my hand, then back to the strange girl in front of me. _What is wrong with her? _"Hn," I growled, for once not ignoring a question but simply having no answer for it.

"_Um_…is that a yes, or a _nooo_?" she asked dragging out the 'no' in an obnoxious, childlike, manner that set my teeth on edge. My eyes narrowed and my head dropped in annoyance. "_Right_…I'll take that as a yes then…I think?"she said flippantly, cocking her head to the side in a way that could be described as nothing less than dog-like. "I'll cook it if you clean it, now come on," she said turning her back on me and walking away. "My camp is this way."

In a fit of frustration I swung my knife, plunging it into the rabbit's soft and still warm belly to keep myself from throwing it at the girl. Spilling the innards and blood in a swift, steamy, gush. They fell to the ground with a moist splat, and I watched in fascination as crimson blood flowed from the gaping wound before slowing into a gradual drip of ruby colored tears.

"Uh, Gaara, are you coming?" A voice asked uncertainly. I snapped my attention back to the mouthy red-haired nuisance. _Maybe she needs a demonstration of why she should be afraid. _Pushing chakra into my feet I leapt at her, stopping with my face a few sparse inches from her own. Those acid green eyes of hers were even more expressive up close. I could almost experience the surprise with the girl, so strong and clear were her emotions. A book couldn't be any easier to read. Stumbling back, her mouth opened wide in surprise, she fell. Sitting at my feet she stared up at me from the forest floor with legs sprawled out and one hand still awkwardly gripping her bow.

"Wha-" Kida paused, blinking. "H-how did you…how did you _do _that?" she asked stupidly and I couldn't help but glare at her while she shakily got back to her feet. Looking up at me with irritation clearly etched onto her features she brushed the dirt from her clothes. Shaking her head she turned away from me again. "Well come on, it's this way," she said over her shoulder in an exasperated voice. She walked off without another word, and for some unfathomable reason I found myself following after her at a distance. Her steps were so loud and heavy that I could feel them vibrating through the soles of my shoes, making my disgust for the civilian grow ten-fold.

_How could the pathetic little twit hope to survive in a world full of shinobi if she can't even walk without alerting the entire forest to her presence? _Not that I would allow her to live for much longer, as soon as the urge to kill her returned, or she finally gave into her fear, then the girl was dead anyway_. _She glanced back at me quickly, but looked away before I could reward her with a glare. _Yes, the little bitch's blood would be soaking in my sand before long…_

XXXXXXX

She was staring at me again, her green orbs all but burning a hole in the side of my head. Did she really not know how much I wanted to dig my fingers into her eye sockets? If for no other reason than to put out the fire in her eyes. That flame that seemed to scorch me wherever they touched. She leaned marginally closer, her already intense gaze becoming more focused. Her thoughts all but screamed that some sort of mischief was being plotted. Locking my gaze with hers I finally gave into her subconscious prodding. She arched a brow at my glare; the same glare that brought most grown men to their knees, quaking in terror, appeared to _amuse _this strange girl. "What?" I hissed at her, wanting more than anything to wipe that _ridiculous _smirk off her ugly freckled face.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how I used to be taller than you, that's all," she smiled.

"You were never taller than me," I scowled. _What did she think she was getting at?_

"Sure I was, you were probably just too short to remember it," she said in a disgustingly cheerful voice.

"Height has nothing to do with memory," I said slowly, beginning to wonder if she was out of touch with reality. It would explain most, if not all, of her actions. My assumption was only given more merit when her smile broadened.

"Of course it does! Why do you think adults are called 'grown ups' by little kids? Because when you're grown up then you can remember things, that's why!"

"That doesn't make any sense."_ That settles it, this girl's wits are addled._

She continued to argue her deranged case. "Yeah it does! Maybe you just need to grow some more!"

Leaning away I looked the crazed civilian over. _What is she playing at? _I glared at her furiously when her eyes started to blink one at a time. _Is she _trying _to antagonize me?_"Are you mocking me?" I growled.

"Yes, but only a little. Why, is it pissing you off?" Kida questioned brightly.

I stood up nearly too furious to speak, "How dare you." The sand in my gourd shifted with my anger, its rustle loud and clear in the silence.

"Because dare is so much more fun than truth!" She spoke as calmly as ever and my anger began to dissipate once again.

_She is either very_ _brave, or the stupidest_ _human I have ever met. _"What?" I asked, already wishing I hadn't.

"You see, I have no juicy or interesting secrets, so truth is just no fun! That means I have to go with dare to keep things from getting dull," Kida informed me simply with a knowing nod. Watching her out of the corner of one eye I slowly sat back down. _She is most definitely __stupid_.

Leaning forward suddenly, she poked at the rabbit with a stick. Taking the skewer that was holding it over the fire she pulled it out and dropped it onto plate. She then reached into an old, ragged, bag and pulled out a jar of what looked like honey, as well as various other spices. I watched absently as she performed her menial acts to prepare the food.

That is if you could even call the slop she was mixing together food. Though the smell was not altogether unpleasant. She suddenly turned and held a plate piled with the strange looking mess out to me, all but forcing the disgusting thing into my hands. After I grudgingly accepted mine she sat, putting her own plate on her knees, and began eating quickly. I could see she was watching me, waiting for me to take a bite.

Picking up the single bizarre, pronged, chopstick I examined it carefully, and by watching the way Kida used hers I copied the process and took a small, suspicious, bite. I couldn't help but blink in surprise before chewing slowly and swallowing. I had expected it to be unpalatable, foul, even repulsive. What I had not been expecting was the tantalizing burst of perfectly blended flavors. After years of eating Temari's cooking my taste buds had become accustomed to ignoring whatever bit of garbage was forced upon them, but this was not at all like Temari's cooking.

"Well, what's the verdict?"

I looked at the girl sitting a few feet away from me whose existence had, unknowingly, gained some sort of value. Enough importance that her question would not go unanswered. "Hn," I muttered before continuing to eat in silence, savoring each and every bite.

"Is there anything _wrong _with what I cooked?" she asked with venom dripping from her voice.

"No, it's acceptable," I answered to shut her up so that I could enjoy my meal, choosing to ignore the glare aimed at me. She abandoned the effort for her own dinner before long, leaving us in a comfortable silence while we ate.

Once I was finished I stood, picking my gourd up and fastening it's straps with ease. I looked at the girl, Kida, seeing her in a new light. _Maybe there was a use for her after all. _She had gotten to her feet as well, her petite frame looking even more fragile up close. Her buggy green eyes seemed to be in constant danger of being blinded by the mass of curly, blood-red hair that surrounded her face. A hectic splattering of freckles across her cheeks, nose, and forehead completed the picture, making Kida an interesting, if not odd, sight to behold. "Well, thank you for joining me for dinner, it was…nice, seeing you again. If you ever want to do this another time feel free to join me," she offered not knowing that was exactly what I planned on doing, with or without an invitation.

"Hn," I grunted walking off a few steps while pumping chakra into my legs. I leapt into the trees above, dashing from branch to branch in a lazy line back to the Leaf. I may be stuck in another village, waiting for the exams to begin, but at least for now I had something to do with my time. So long as the girl watched her tongue I wouldn't have to rip it out of her head. Who knows, if she behaved herself I might even let her live after I returned to Suna. _Until then she is mine._

**AN: If you're wondering why he rarely calls Kida by her name it's because he thinks of people being nothing more than bags of meat. So he –subconsciously- dissociates Kida of her name, or of even being a person. More so than others, because of the relationship they had as children. Therefore not using her name, and calling Kida: girl, she, her, or even good old-fashioned bitch.**


	7. Chapter 7: Getting Started

**AN: This chapter was surprisingly easy to correct, thank God. ****This chapter has been rewritten: 1-15-13**

**Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto Masashi and therefore do not own Naruto. I am only a poor American girl with no future or hope who in all likelihood will die cold, alone, and penniless. On the bright side I own Kida.**

_"Strangers are friends that you have yet to meet."_

_-Roberta Liberman_

**Chapter 7: Getting Started**

I knew it was time to wake up, but my eye lids remained glued shut in a desperate attempt to fall back asleep. _Maybe, if I stay perfectly still, I can just drift back out and wake up later._ Unfortunately it was no use. The longer I refused to admit that I was awake the more aware I became of my surroundings. A part of those surroundings happened to included a very hard, sharp, rock that would not be satisfied until it dug its way through my poor back.

_Damn it. _

Opening my eyes I looked into the tree branches directly above my head, blinking in surprise when I caught sight of a pair of cyan eyes watching me. I sat up with a gasp and looked back to where I had thought I saw someone, but found nothing more than the surrounding trees. Feeling foolish I stood up, stretching as I went. I let out a hiss when a sharp pain flared in my shoulder. _I have to remember to find that damn rock._

Walking over to my fire pit the events from yesterday played slowly through my head in ever confusing circles. _Had that really happened? Did Gaara really have dinner with me or am I just completely losing it?_

Sitting with a huff I pulled out my flint and struck them together to start a fire. Feeding the sparks with twigs and dry leaves I coaxed the glowing embers into life before setting a few thick branches on them. Kneeling there numbly I let the growing flames warm my hands and face before sitting back with a sigh.

Today I had to look for work in town. I'd taken a few days longer to settle in than I would normally allow, but the circumstances had been a bit…_unique. _It's not everyday that you're reunited with an old friend, if you could call it reunited. Thrown together in a bizarre twist of fate would be a better way of describing it.

Absentmindedly I picked at last nights leftovers, tearing little pieces of cold meat straight from the bone. Chewing slowly on the cold jerky-like texture I stood, picked a pair of clean clothes from my bag, and dressed in silence. After giving Shadow a once over, checking and then double checking his hooves for stones or cracks, and finding none, I headed towards the village at a slow walk.

XXXXXXX

"So you say you can cook, huh?" the kindly old man asked.

"Yes sir, and I'm pretty good at cleaning too," I answered, hoping I didn't sound too boastful. This was one of the better known ramen stands in the Leaf, so getting a job here would be a great chance to learn some new recipes.

"Do you have any working experience?" he looked amused, as though he didn't expect someone as young as me to have a very extensive background. Well, wasn't he in for a surprise.

"I've worked at eighteen restaurants, twelve tea shops, eight markets, five grocery stores, two stables, three times as a ranch hand, six times as a delivery girl, and cleaned some houses here and there," I counted off all the places that I could remember off the top of my head as the ramen owner's mouth hung slightly ajar.

"W-were you fired from _all _of them?" he asked, sounding shocked.

"No, of course not! I just never stay anywhere long enough to keep any of my jobs. I'm not really sure how long I'm going to stay here either, but I do need some work at least till the end of the chunnin exams," I shrugged.

"Well, that's quite a…quite a lot of jobs then…I guess you can help Ayame here for the day, and if I like what I see we'll keep you on part-time? You can start by cleaning the floors," he said, still sounding a little unsure.

"Alright I'm on it!" I said while rolling up imaginary sleeves and walking past him.

"W-wait, what was your name again?"

"I'm Kida!" I said proudly over my shoulder with a grin before dropping to the floor with a scrub brush in hand. He stood there watching me for a few moments while I attacked the grime on the floor with a vengeance. After a while he left me to it, apparently satisfied with my enthusiasm for clean floors.

XXXXXXX

It didn't take long before I had the whole place clean, or at least the floors, but it was a start.

"Hello! You here, Old man?" a voice called from the other side of the counter.

Popping up from the floor I was met with a pair of startled blue eyes under a spiky head of blonde hair.

"Ahhhh!" he yelped falling over backwards.

Leaning over the tabletop I looked down at my first customer. "Hello, how can I help you?" I asked cheerfully with a broad smile. He jumped up in a flash and leaned over his side of the counter to leer at me.

"Who are you? And where's the old man?" Suspicion colored both his voice and face.

"I'm Kida! And if by old man you mean, Teuchi, then he left a little while ago, but Ayame's here if you're hungry. Can I take your order to her?" I asked ignoring his narrowed eyes.

"Naruto, is that you?" Ayame's voice called from somewhere in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm out here, but there's some weird Carrot top crawling around on your floor!"

_Carrot top?! _I felt a vein in my forehead start to pound as I clenched my fist. _So help this boy if I ever run into him after my shift is over!_

"Oh, hi Naruto. What'll it be, the usual?" Ayame asked coming through the doorway with a warm smile.

"Yep!" Naruto said with a nod and a grin that should have split his face in two.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked in hopes of getting away from this whiskered boy who had the gall to call me, _Carrot top. _He had some nerve saying that when he was the one wearing an _obscene _amount of orange.

"Actually Kida, we're running out of eggs and salt, do you think you could run to the market four blocks over and fetch some?"

_Oh thank goodness, I'm saved._

"Sure thing, I'll be back in a minute!" I forced the relief out of my voice while Ayame handed me the money I would need. Leaving before another word could be said I jogged down the street to the familiar little market around the corner.

My breath was still even once I reached my destination, my heartbeat only a little louder thump than usual in my ears. The doorbell gave a friendly jingle as I pushed it open, its sweet cadence calling after it closed behind me.

I went straight to where I remembered seeing the eggs, and grabbed the salt on my way back to the register. Placing the two items on the counter I waited patiently for the old woman to ring up my things. It wasn't until I handed her the money that I remembered what had happened the last time I was here_, _and just who had plagued my thoughts ever since.

_Gaara._

I had finally been able to push him from my mind and here he was again, surfaced to the forefront of my thoughts by a mere old woman. What was I going to do? There was no way that how much I thought of the boy was healthy, mentally, nor physically from what he himself had said. I could still hear his voice, clear as day in my head. _"I've been ordered not to kill anyone while I'm in the Leaf village, but that wont stop me if you don't go, __now____.__"_

It was strange, knowing that he probably really could kill me. Not that he couldn't have done it when we were kids. It was more that he _wouldn't _have done it. Now…now Gaara was no longer the charming little boy I once knew. He was, _is__, _a weapon and I would be stupid to consider him anything less than that.

Taking my change and bag of goods I exited the shop wordlessly and made my way back to the ramen stand with dragging feet. I held the paper sack to my chest like a talisman, willing it to protect me against the stirring of confused emotions brought on by Gaara. It was difficult to remember that the boy I once knew was gone. The person I saw yesterday wasn't the boy I'd known, this was someone with years of training to be an assassin.

The blind could have seen what Gaara had become; it was there in the way he walked, in the sharp tone of his voice, the _look _in his crystal blue eyes. Just…just _everything_. Like the old Gaara, the one who had been my friend and companion had gone off somewhere and died and left this…this _tiger _in his place.

Yes, that was a good word for it. For this new Gaara was very cat-like, of that there was no doubt. In fact no other comparison quite fit the way a tiger did. I had felt like a mouse caught in the grasp of a hunting cat the few times that I'd seen him. Almost like he was _playing _with me, enjoying his game before he ended it. As much as I wanted to pretend otherwise it was impossible to ignore that _look _in his eyes. That hurt, _furious _look. Like he hated the world and he truly wanted nothing more than to watch it burn.

Even with as aggravated as he made me at times, it _hurt _to see that pain and anger in my old friend. There was a part of me that ached seeing him like that. A part that wanted more than anything to just throw my arms around him and hold on till the ice melted away and this stranger thawed back into the little boy I once knew. The one who, no matter how much I denied it, part of me still cared for.

_Don't be stupid, there's no going back to the way things were. It's idiotic to be so hung up over a friendship that died years ago._ I chided myself.

Looking up I found myself back at Ichiraku's. I held the bag of groceries tighter to my chest, and the paper wrinkled under the pressure. Loosening my grip and standing strong once more I ducked under the curtain. To my surprise the blonde boy was still there, slurping happily at what looked like his fourth bowl of ramen, assuming the other three stacked next to him were his.

"Hmm…Oh you're back!" he said sounding far too excited for even my taste.

"Yeaaah, and?" I asked not understanding this sudden change of attitude from him, and to be honest not trusting it.

"Sorry bout earlier. While you were gone Ayame told me what you're doing here." He rubbed the back of his head while giving another of those face splitting grins. "So your name's Kida right? I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gonna be the Hokage someday!"

_Why is this weird boy telling me this? _Though I had to admit he had a certain…_charm, _about him. At least when he wasn't insulting me.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Naruto. Do you come to Ichiraku's often?" I asked setting the bag down on the counter.

"Oh yeah, I come here all the time! There's no better ramen in the whole village than Ichiraku ramen," he said taking a big slurp as though to make his point.

"So I've heard." It was hard to resist rolling my eyes, not that he would have seen with his own blue orbs scrunched shut from the force of his grin. _That just _has_ to hurt his cheeks after a while. __Hell, mine hurt just watching him do it._

"Mm-hmm!" he grunted as he sucked in the last of his noodles and sat back with a satisfied sigh.

"Is there anything else I can get for you, or will that be all for today?" I asked while he dug in his pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a little frog wallet.

"No I'm stuffed, but I'll see you next time," he said handing me the money for his meal. I laughed softly as he stood up and waddled off holding his stomach, giving a half-hearted wave over his shoulder.

_This village really is more interesting than I remembered. Maybe I will stick around here awhile._

**AN: Since this ****is****a filler I'm going to go ahead and end it here. For anyone who wondered why I wrote Kida as a cook here it is. Besides the fact that it gives Gaara a reason to visit her. Still not sure how I'm going to work it though, I have **_**no **_**experience with cooking anything that doesn't lead to a small kitchen fire…But I'm gonna try. **


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting in the Middle

**AN: At the time this chapter was released Wild One had achieved 1,050 hits, four years later it has a total of 41,215 hits. Thanks guys, you're awesome. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-16-13**

_"Cheerfulness, like spring, opens all the blossoms of the inward man."_

_-Jean Paul Richter_

**Chapter 8: Meeting in the Middle**

I kept my eyes firmly closed, feigning sleep. My right hand laid hidden beneath my pillow, firmly holding onto a thin rope. The urge to jerk it was unbearable but I held my ground. This was a one-shot chance, if I pulled the trap too early my cover would be blown and I would never get a second chance. I had to get this right the first time or not at all.

For the last four days I had caught those blue eyes staring at me as I awoke, and now I was going to find out if my suspicions were correct. Last night I had climbed, crawled, and scuttled my way up that horrid tree, filling my hands and legs with countless scrapes and splinters. All for this moment, this defining moment in time that would catch my stalker in the act!

It was all so simple, so inane and ridiculous, that no one would expect such a simple trick, but there lied the beauty of it: he wouldn't be _looking_ for my trap. He had no idea what was in store. I fought a smile that threatened to tug its way onto my lips, with dawn fast approaching it wouldn't be much longer now. I didn't know at what time he began his nightly vigil, but I _did _know where he sat every morning.

I couldn't be sure if I actually felt him watching me now as I waited, or if it was my frayed nerves that were telling me someone was close. Either way it wouldn't matter soon. Once I pull the twine wrapped around my fisted hand a freezing bucket of water would be upturned on my stalker, and that would be the end of it.

_Any second now…_

Impatience buzzed at my insides, filling me with an insistent, all-consuming, chant. All across my body my muscles were taut from adrenaline. The smooth nylon tickled my fingers, begging me to flick my wrist and bring down my icy vengeance. Just when I felt that I couldn't possibly wait another moment the first lip of sunlight finally broke over the horizon. Lightly staining the insides of my eyelids pink and casting the morning birdsong into a nearly fevered pitch.

_Now!_

I casually slid my arm down the pillow, concealing it from sight in hopes of making the movement look natural, yet still quick enough to flip my hidden bucket of water over. A moist splat was soon followed by a startled curse.

_"Damn it!"_

I jumped up from my cot, eyes fixed on the trees where I found to, my amusement, a sodden Gaara. He looked up at the overturned bucket dangling above his head before turning to face me. The look in his eyes was enough to make me question the wisdom of my seemingly innocent prank. _Maybe this wasn't as harmless as I'd hoped?_

Gaara's slate blue eyes were furious, his face filled with a hostility that seemed to reek from his very soul. His lips were pulled back over long, ivory, canines in a silent growl that promised retribution.

_Okay, _not _the best idea I've ever had. At least I don't think I can make him any angrier than he already is._

Breaking our eye contact nervously, I stepped over my rumpled blankets. Reaching into the bag beside my saddle I pulled out a towel. I looked back up to the fuming ninja in the trees, who still seemed too livid to speak. "You wanna dry off?" I asked holding the towel up in his direction.

Gaara's narrow glare melted his eyes into obsidian slits. Crouching down tensely he sprung from the tree and landed in front of me, snatching the towel away so quickly it made a snap in the brisk morning air.

Grinning I stepped back, giving the irate Sand ninja his space. "So…how've ya been?" I asked playfully, hoping to lighten the mood, while he frisked the towel through his hair and replied with a muffled growl.

Putting my hands on my hips I rolled my eyes. "Really? Oh, how fascinating! Do tell me more."

He peered at me from under the towel with icy eyes that I ignored in favor of getting the boy some breakfast, it was the least I could do. It was only some simple leftovers from last night but it would have to do, besides lemon chicken was great at anytime of the day. After I had my fire restarted I placed my skillet over the small flames, dumping in the chicken and red rice. Absently I poked the embers with a stick. "I hope you're hungry now," I huffed without looking away from the fire's dancing orange flames, "cause this won't take long to cook."

With the towel draped around his shoulders he seated himself a few feet further down the log that I used as a bench. We then sat in silence while the leftovers warmed back up. Once I was satisfied that it had heated enough I scooped the food onto the plates, handing Gaara his without a word.

It didn't take long before I noticed him glaring at me rather than eating, "What is it Gaara?" I asked with an exasperated sigh.

Glaring at me he gripped his knees. "I didn't watch you make this," his deep voice sounded suspicious.

Crossing my ankles I leveled him with a cold stare. "Annnnd? Your point is…?" I was already growing irritated with him.

Nose wrinkeling in disgust his glare intensified. "How do I know it isn't poisoned?"

Fighting the urge to rub my temples I suppressed the urge to sigh. "How many times on a daily basis are you told how impossible you are?" I asked in return.

Shifting forward his pale lips pulled back in a silent snarl.

This time I did sigh aloud, "There are a few reasons that it's not poisoned. The first being that if I was going to put something in your food it would be _Prozac_, not poison. The second reason is that if I _were _stupid enough to try to kill you I wouldn't use poison, I'd _strangle _you." I smiled at the wrinkle that appeared on his brow as his face seemed to soften.

"I should kill you for getting me wet, but I should kill you _slowly _for that comment." His toneless voice almost made me shudder, he was taking this far too seriously.

"Well you _could _do that, but then who would be here to tell you to lighten up and eat your food before it gets cold? Besides if you really don't want it then you can give the towel back and leave, the forest is that way." I waved flippantly at the surrounding trees with a smirk before taking another bite.

"Must you turn everything into a joke to hide the fact that you're nothing but a pathetic coward? Your constant cheerfulness _irritates _me," he hissed with a twisted look that was sinister on his usually expressionless face.

"And your pessimism _annoys _me, now are you going to eat or leave?" I turned my attention back to the plate of leftovers on my knees, ignoring the look he shot my way.

I had to fight back a smile when I saw him take a hesitant bite from the corner of my eye. _Looks like I convinced him it was safe after all…_

Of course that was the end of the conversation for the time being. Once we finished I took his plate back, scraping the extra into the fire before walking over to the creek to clean our dishes. "So are you really entering the exams or are you here for some sort of mission?" I asked with my back turned, but he didn't answer me. "I kind of assumed that you're here for the chunnin exams, but you never _actually _said that was why you're in the Leaf."

When he didn't say anything I decided to switch to another tactic.

"How are your siblings? I can't remember their names but I know you had some, are they here with you?" Again I received no response. "I got a job at this ramen shop called Ichiraku's, you should stop by sometime." Silence answered me yet again. I turned around, fully prepared to give Gaara a much earned piece of my mind, but to my dismay found that he was gone. Leaving me with the realization that I had probably been talking to myself ever since I turned around.

_"Arrghhhhh!" _I screamed my frustration at the morning sky, earning a frightened snort from Shadow. "Oh shut up you! You're not the one I'm mad at," I grumbled to him, filling the air with whispered curses while I finished scrubbing the plates in the cold stream. _That settles it; I really am going to strangle him…_

**AN: Short but sweet...sort of.**


	9. Chapter 9: Morning Surprises

**AN: This is probably one of my favorite chapters. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-16-13**

_"What the Heart Knows today, the head will understand tomorrow."_

_-James Stephens_

**Chapter 9: Morning Surprises**

I had woken this morning to find myself blissfully alone, with not so much as a single hint of another person in the surrounding woods. So it was with lifted spirits that I sat fishing beside the river, watching the dawn rise in all its glory above. The sun's gentle rays touched the bottom of the wispy clouds turning their undersides gold, and casting the sky into deep shades of fuchsia with vibrant splashes of orange dancing in and around the edges.

Though the dirt I sat in was damp it still proved to be drier than the grass; which was covered in a glossy layer of morning dew. The soft sound of the river rolling over the rocks filled the air with a gentle melody. I kept my hand that was free from the fishing line between my knees, holding in as much warmth as I could against the dawn's brisk chill. The mornings here were so tranquil, with nothing but the sound of the birds singing from distant tree tops and the water gurgling its way over the smooth river stones. If it were any more peaceful here I would probably be able to just lie down in the soft, springy clover, listen to the soft chirping of crickets and fall back aslee-

"What are you doing?"

With a shriek I jumped forward and would have fallen face first into the river had a hand not caught the edge of my shirt and yanked me back. Startled I whipped myself around, slipping in the mud. Once again a hand steadied me with a tight grip on my upper arm that bordered on painful. I looked up in shock to find a set of _very_ annoyed icy blue eyes watching me with a sneer.

"Can't you stay standing on your _own?_" he growled as his long fingers released my arm from their bruising hold.

Still surprised I gaped at him. "Gaara?"

He gave me a look that _clearly _said just how stupid he thought I was.

"Do you have to sneak up on me like that? One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack!" I scolded holding my chest for emphasis.

Crossing his arms he stared down his nose at me with an unamused glare. "Hn," he dismissed as though my impending heart failure wasn't a serious matter.

Fuming I placed my hands on my hips. "I'm not joking, my nerves are fragile! Eventually you're going to sneak up on me and I'm going to go into cardiac arrest, and then I'm going to die. I swear you do this one more time and I'm gonna make you wear a bell!"

He gave me a classic _'I'd like to see you try'_ look.

Grumpily I had to admit to myself that he had a valid point. Sighing deeply I let my hands drop. "What are you doing here anyway?" I asked changing the subject. "You've got to be sick of me by now."

Cocking his head to the side he seemed to contemplate my question. "Yes."

I waited as patiently as I could for him to elaborate…_Screw it. _"Yes, what?" _I've never been a very patient person._

He looked away, staring at a spot just over my shoulder. "Yes, I've tired of your company."

Clenching my fists it took every ounce of what little self-control I had not to fling his miserable ass into the river and watch him drown. "Then why, I ask. Are you _here?"_ I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying any of the more colorful words that were coming to mind.

He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I…enjoy your cooking."

Narrowing my eyes into slits I had to force myself not to hit him. I was about to tell him to leave, quite loudly in fact, but as soon as I opened my mouth to speak he was already talking again.

"And…you still don't, you still haven't, ran away," he struggled over the words, seemingly having trouble finding the right way to put them. "When you talk, you don't cower. You yell, and it angers me. It makes me wish you were _silent," _his nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth before continuing."But it makes me forget everything else that angers me too, and then it's not so bad." He had a small frown on his thin lips but the skin around his eyes had softened.

My teeth clicked together as I closed my gaping mouth. His words had stopped me in my tracks, dousing my anger and sending an old pang through my chest that I thought had healed over years ago. I couldn't stay angry at him, not for this. Not when for once he was trying to talk to me rather than his usual growl, threaten, then growl again routine. If he was willing to try then there was no reason for me to be petty. _No matter how alluring pettiness may be…_

Shyly I smiled up at him. "So…you admit you came here for my sparkling personality then?" I asked playfully while batting my eyelashes.

Scowling he leaned away, "No, that wasn't what I said." Obviously annoyed with me again his brow wrinkled, and a lock of hair fell into the corner of his eye.

Turning my back on the aloof sand ninja I grinned cheekily. "I know, but it's what you meant and you know it!" Laughing I sat back down on the riverbank. Throwing my line back into the water I waited for Gaara to join me, but after a few moments I looked back to find him staring at the stream before returning his attention me.

"Why are you putting that string in the water?" he asked sounding confused.

My brows furled at his question. "To catch a fish…?" _What did he mean 'why was I fishing?' isn't it pretty obvious…?_

Glancing at the river before meeting my eyes again he gave me a blank stare. "Why would you want to catch a 'fish' for?" he asked as though it was a strange thing to do.

Blowing a stray curl out of my eyes I huffed. "So I can name it Fluffy and have it make it friends with the other woodland creatures," I said sarcastically.

His brow wrinkled in what appeared to be honest confusion. "Why would you want to do that?"

I rubbed my temples with a groan. "Gaara, I was being _sarcastic. _I'm trying to catch some fish so I can cook them."

He looked at the river with a thoughtful expression. "So, you're saying that once you have some of these 'fish' that you intend to make them food?" He now looked me straight in the eye, waiting for my answer.

Rolling my eyes I nodded, "Yeah."

As soon as the word had left my mouth sand sprang from the gourd hanging on his back. Crossing his arms over his chest he stared down at me with the russet cloud twisting in the air above him. "How many do you need?"

Blinking in surprise I stared at the floating grains."F-four."

_Is he serious?_

The sand plunged into the river, splashing around in the water so furiously that I was sure it would scare every fish both up and downstream within the next five miles. After a few moments the sand pulled sluggishly back into the gourd, leaving only a little cloud of the soupy, dripping, grains to float heavily in front of me with four of the largest fish I had ever seen come from this water.

He stared at his dripping sand in disgust before returning his pallid eyes to me. "Will these work?"

Almost at a loss for words I nodded in agreement, "Y-yeah."

xxxxxxx

The fish were held suspended over the fire by twigs and had turned to a fine crisp on the corners. I couldn't help but smile at the way they smelled, though it seemed that Gaara didn't find the pungent fishy aroma nearly as enticing as I did.

He leaned away from the fire with his nose crinkled in what could only be disgust. Watching me drip lemon juice into the open, and cleaned, chest cavities of the fish as though it were the foulest thing he'd ever had the displeasure of seeing. I could almost hear him thinking that he shouldn't have caught them for me.

I had to stop myself from laughing aloud at the worry that flickered through his pale eyes when I pulled the fish from their skewers and let them slide from their sticks slowly, thoroughly enjoying drawing out the moment as long as possible. Sitting them down on the log bench, I reached down for the thinly cut, foil wrapped, potatoes that had been left to simmer in the embers. Extracting them carefully with tongs, so as not to burn my fingers, I set them beside the fish before carefully opening the aluminum and shaking the fries onto our plates. After adding salt I handed Gaara his and waited for him to take his first bite.

He looked at the fish, carefully poking it with his fork before setting the plate down and crossing his arms.

Biting the inside of my cheek I fixed him with a cool stare. "Well, what's wrong with it?"

"We don't have 'fish' in Suna, I hadn't thought it would smell this bad." He was giving his plate a wary look, almost like he thought it would bite him.

I couldn't help but smirk at his expression. "Most people don't like the smell very much, but don't worry about it. It taste a lot better than it smells, I promise. Give it a try."

He still looked unconvinced. "No."

A vein in my forehead started to pulse again. "Gaara, you're gonna eat this, or so _help me _you're gonna wear it. The choice is entirely up to you."

The glare he shot my way would have frightened anyone with even an ounce of good sense, fortunately I wasn't one of those people. Instead I ripped a large white chunk of meat from the heated carcass, blowing on it until the little wisps of steam disappeared. Popping it into my mouth while it was still hot I looked at Gaara as I chewed, grinding the tender morsel into submission. "You don't know what you're missing. Besides if you don't eat this then why should I bother making you something ever again?" I argued simply, ignoring the burn in my throat from swallowing the bite before it had cooled.

He still looked unsure, but after watching me eat a few more bites in obvious pleasure he picked his plate up cautiously. Tearing a minuscule strip from his fish with what looked like a force of will, he brought it to his mouth where his lips opened reluctantly. Taking the bite into his mouth he chewed with a bland expression for a few moments. After swallowing he stared at his plate with a thoughtful expression and licking his lips. He then picked up a larger chunk with far more enthusiasm than he had the first time.

"Told you it was good!" I sang teasingly, much to his obvious annoyance.

"Hn," he muttered after taking another bite, refusing to look at me.

"What's that? You admit that I'm right and you're wrong and that you'll never doubt my cooking powers ever again?" I held a hand up to my ear and leaned toward him.

He, of course, leaned away from me with an irritated glare. "Are you always this weird?" he sneered.

"Well of course not! I can get much, much worse!" I stuck my tongue out at him, fully enjoying making a pest of myself.

"Hn," Gaara grunted, evidently finding it easier to just pacify me.

Nodding wisely I gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know."

He looked at me strangely for a second before choosing to ignore me in favor of eating in peace. Which all things considered was probably a wise choice, our food must be getting cold, and fish was only good when it could still burn you

I took another bite, pleased with the instant scolding that filled my mouth. This really was a fine way to start the day, if a surprising one.

**AN: Well what did you guys think? Was Gaara too ooc? Or did it still fit? Anyway I hope you liked it.**


	10. Chapter 10: Muddy Faces

**AN: Wow, short chapter is short indeed. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-16-13**

_"Sometimes you put up walls not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."_

-Socrates

**Chapter 10: Muddy Faces**

I sat with my feet floating in the stream bed, watching peacefully as the little minnows swarmed under my toes. Dancing in simple little circles around my ankles, chasing each other in dizzying patterns like any other young thing will do. I hadn't been sitting here for very long before I'd noticed Gaara had joined me and was resting in the tree beside the river. Not that he was _trying _to hide himself. If he had been I doubt I ever would have noticed him sitting there, but with his whole body exposed and his legs dangling just a few feet above my head he made his presence fairly obvious.

After some time had passed he eventually dropped down from his perch to join me at the water's edge, and now we were sitting not quite side by side, but still together. Staring into the crystal clear water as we both enjoyed the serenity of the surrounding forest. The sunlight bleeding through the branches above bathed us in a gentle, emerald glow. I felt warmed to my bones by the luxurious heat.

Sitting with Gaara like we had when we were still children had felt strange at first, but I soon found his quiet company almost soothing in his own odd little way. The silence that I would have found unsettling with someone else was somehow comforting in his presence.

"You're not afraid," his voice was raspier than usual, almost as though he hadn't used it since yesterday morning.

I leaned back on my hands without taking my eyes off the little minnows at my feet, "Nope, why do ya ask?"

Looking straight ahead he mumbled softly, "I didn't ask."

An exasperated sigh escaped me. _So much for the silence._ Tilting my head to the right I stared at the stoic boy who refused to meet my gaze. "Fine, then why did you say it?"

The sunlight from the river reflected off his opaque eyes, and a light breeze ruffled his wispy hair. "I'm a monster, people fear monsters. It's only natural."

Sighing I pondered what he's said. "Do you mean because you're a jinchūriki?"

Tensing his jaw he sat a little straighter and glared acidically at the trees on the far bank. The air seemed to suddenly grow heavy.

Unimpressed I sat back up and shrugged, "I'm not afraid of monsters, and besides the way I see it you're not one anyway."

He met my eyes with a dubious glare. "Everyone is afraid of monsters. That's why we're called _monsters. _To say you feel otherwise would be a lie," there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there before.

Chewing on my lip I cocked my head to the side. "Well, let me try to explain the way I see it," I muttered looking around for something to use. Spotting the mud from the riverbank I dug my hand deep into the wet soil, and pulled it out with gunk up to my wrist. Reaching over I stretched my arm out and streaked the mud across Gaara's face.

Snarling he flinched and jumped back to his feet,_ "What the hell!?" _

_Cool, I got him to speak above a whisper._

Towering over me he stared me down with an almost glorious fury in his pale eyes. "What game are you playing at?"

The gourd he'd left leaning against our shade tree rattled, and I could hear its cork squeaking.

Raising my hands in surrender I smiled up at him. "Now hold on, I said I would explain, and I will, but you've gotta sit down first," I patiently waited until he grudgingly sat back down, this time with a tense posture and farther away, before I continued. "The way I see it is just the same way that I see the mud."

Gaara looked even more confused than before and the fury still smoldered in his cyan eyes.

Tearing my gaze from him I held my hands up and inspected my dirty nails. "You see, just because the mud's there doesn't mean you're not underneath it. You're still you regardless of anything else that can be seen on the outside."

Wrinkling his nose he sneered. "No, I don't see. The mud on my face isn't dangerous, my _bijuu _is," he said slowly, as though if he spoke too fast I wouldn't understand.

Tapping my chin with my clean hand I puffed out my cheeks. "Okay, lets put this another way." I scooted closer and twisted around to face him straight on.

Baring his teeth he shifted and leaned away from me, watching my hands cautiously.

I laughed at his distrustfull glare. "Don't worry, I promise no more mud." Leaning forward on my palms I brought my face up to his, ignoring the sands warning hiss. "Okay, now look at me, and I mean _really _look at me. What do you see?"

He stared at me for few seconds before giving up, "What am I looking for?"

"Everything, tell me everything you see. I wanna hear what goes through your head when you look at me."

For awhile he searched my face, his eyes darting across my features, and just when I was sure he wasn't going to answer my question he finally spoke, "I see a girl with red-hair, green eyes, freckles, a wide mouth, straight nose, you're smiling now so I see teeth…stop that."

My face spasmed as I fought back a cheeky smirk.

Frowning he continued, "Now I see that you face is scrunched up and your eyes are twitching…okay fine, smile."

Chuckling I let the grin go, full force.

Shrugging he looked away for a moment, "I see a normal girl."

"Yes, and is there something, anything, about this girl that stands out? Does she look nice, mean, tall, short…dangerous?"

He gave me a strange look. "I know you're not a ninja."

Slapping my knee I sat back. "Ah, now you're catching on!" I crowed in triumph.

"I still don't understand." His face was starting to go cold again, obviously growing tired of my game.

"You've just said it. I'm not a ninja, I couldn't protect myself from…well there's not a whole lot of people that I could fight off if they wanted to hurt me. So, to me, the whole world's full of people just as dangerous as you are. So why should I be anymore afraid of you than everyone else?"

He seemed to have been following up until that last part. "Wouldn't that give you more reason to fear?"

"Well, yes. I can see how most ninja would see it that way, but because I'm not one I see the world as full of people, not just full of opponents. So even though you have the mud on your face, or as other shinobi might see it, your bijuu, I only see the person under the mud. What kind of power you have just doesn't matter to me. Do you get what I'm trying to say?" I leaned forward as I spoke, washing the mud from my hands in the freshwater.

He blinked and seemed to run what I'd said through his mind. "I think I understand now," he looked at me with a thoughtful expression.

Smiling I lowered my head and peeked at him through a curtain of my hair, "Good. Now come here, let's clean that mess off of you," I pulled my coat off and dipped a corner into the stream. Reaching forward I took his chin gently into my hands and wiped the muddy streaks off his face. I could feel his cheek jump under the contact and see how his brilliant cyan eyes twitched slightly wider under my ministrations. His nostrils flared open taking tense, shallow breaths.

I went slow, wiping the dirt from his face gently. My hands held his jawline with a soft grip, so that it would allow him to pull free if he chose too. Keeping my fingers feather-lite, I only touched him with the faintest bit of pressure. Secretly fascinated I wiped the sludge from the crevices of his scar, my fingers ghosting over the deep rivets and bubbled flesh. By the time I was done the tightness in his shoulders had loosened, though he still watched me with weary eyes. Pushing his bangs back from his wide forehead to check for more streaks I discovered that Gaara's hairline formed a deep widowspeak. Smiling to myself I pulled back, satisfied that all the mud was gone and his bone-white face was once again flawless. The master of the sand really had grown into an attractive young man; it was almost a shame our friendship had become so stressed. "There, you see? All that's left now is Gaara," I muttered reaching forward to give his chin one last playful swipe.

"Hn."

I couldn't help but notice a brief flash of openness in his features, but before I could be sure it was already gone. Wordlessly we both turned back to the river, leaving our conversation behind as though it had never happened. I sat there pondering what he had said for a few moments when, suddenly, a sharp pain flashed through my left foot sending tremors up my calf. "_Shit!" _I jumped back swinging my legs from the water and all but crashing into Gaara's side in my haste to escape the water's edge.

Scowling he glared at me. "What?" he asked, almost managing to not sound annoyed.

Holding up my dripping foot I checked for teeth marks, "Something bit me!"

"Hn," he grunted with what sounded suspiciously like amusement.

"It's true! I think it was one of those little fish!" I accused while pointing an angry finger at the little minnows that were swimming about innocently; as though one of them hadn't almost maimed me. "Enjoy this while you can, Little Fish, cause I'm comin' back someday when you're bigger, and when I do I'm gonna catch ya and roast you over my fire!" I could see Gaara giving me a strange look from the corner of my eye, but didn't care._ Let him think what he wants so long as I get back at that stupid minnow Gaara can do as he pleases!_

**AN: This wasn't even supposed to go in this fic, but I thought it could use a little fluff. There are now pictures to go with the story, the link is on my profile.**


	11. Chapter 11: A Deadly Encounter

**Warning: ****This chapter is violent, and contains content not suited for younger audiences. If you are not a mature reader this chapter is ****not for you.** **If you **_**are **_**mature then read on at your own risk, but you have been warned. Enjoy guys****. This chapter has been rewritten: 1-30-2013**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." _

_-Mary Tyler Moore_

**Chapter 11: A Deadly Encounter**

"Here's your order, Naruto!" I said happily handing the steaming bowl to the excited blonde. He took a large slurp as soon as it touched the table, sprinkling hot water droplets onto his tanned cheeks.

"Thanks, Kida!" he exclaimed with a pudgy faced smile; how he was able to say _anything _so clearly with a mouth full of food was beyond my understanding…

I had to admit that, much to my surprise, I had grown rather found of Ichiraku's number one costumer over the last couple of days. There was something about his unending enthusiasm that was rather catching. "So what's with the bag?" Naruto asked, taking a break from inhaling his noodles to point at the brown paper sack sitting alone on a shelf behind the counter.

"Oh, that's just a surprise for a friend I ran into the other day." I couldn't help but smile at the irony of that statement. Though I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit of anticipation when looking at the paper bag, filled with the ingredients for a perfect breakfast.

Earlier this afternoon, while walking along the riverbank, I had found a small tangle of blueberries, and had taken as many as I could carry back to my camp. That way when Gaara came tomorrow morning I could make us pancakes smothered in blueberries and whipped cream. The pancake mix had been relatively cheap, but the cheese and the cream…that had hurt my wallet. It hurt my wallet _a lot._ I had to spend almost half of what I had made in a day working for the ramen shop on that little can and tiny block. Of course the eggs had at least been cheep. I could only hope it would all be worth it.

_If pancakes and eggs coated in melted cheese, first thing in the morning, doesn't put that boy in a good mood then I give up! I throw in the towel, give in, admit defeat, call it what you will but I am done!_

"So, who's your friend?" Naruto asked, oblivious to the vein pulsating on my forehead.

Resisting the sudden urge to rub at my temples I said, "No one you would know, he's from out-of-town."

"But I thought you said you were from out-of-town?" he asked sounding confused.

I shrugged. "I did say that."

"So, if you're not from the Leaf and your friend's not from the Leaf, then you must have come here together so how did you run into him?" he asked tonelessly.

"Well you see-" It hadn't hit me till just now how unlikely our meeting here had been. Of all the chances that I would happen to be in the same village as Gaara, a shinobi who had to travel all over the map on missions. The odds of us being in the same place at the same time, and then for us to both be on that street. At the _exact _same moment when the Leaf was such a large village. It was all just so unlikely, so _im__possible. _Yet somehow we _had _run into each other.

_I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole mess. It's nice to see my old friend again, and I _do_ enjoy our time together._ _When he doesn't act like a __total __Jackass_,_ anyway. As few and far between as those moments tend to be…_

"Kida…? _Yo, Kida!" _Naruto's agitated voice broke through my thoughts in time to see his hand still waving in front of my face.

"Huh…? What is it, Naruto?"

"You kinda blanked out after I asked you what the deal was with you and your friend," he pouted sitting back in his stool.

"Oh, sorry bout that. I guess it's just kind of complicated." I rubbed the back of my neck at my huge understatement.

"Mhh, okay." And with that he finished his ramen in one long, wet slurp. Standing up he set his money on the counter. "See ya later Kida," he said over his shoulder as he walked off and disappeared down the street. I put the coins in the register and placed his last bowl in the sink before grabbing my bag.

_I swear that boy stays later every night._ By now the nearly full moon hung high in the sky above the village, bathing the earth below in its cool, milky light. It had gotten so late that I would probably still be asleep in the morning by the time Gaara got to my camp. He had recently gotten into the habit of showing up while I was cooking, and just sitting on my log bench until I noticed him. The first few times it had startled me pretty badly, but by now I was used to it. I would even go as far as to say that I expected it.

_Gaara sure is an odd one, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of this _thing_ we have going on._

Smiling, I looked up from the ground to get a good look at the village, admiring how it was bathed in gentle moonlight. The town sure was a beautiful place at night. Half hidden by the surrounding ancient forest; little lights could be seen strewn across the dome-shaped city. Tree branches swayed majestically in the breeze, causing the moonlight to appear to be dancing in great, silvery, patches over the rooftops.

Taking a deep breath of the pine scented air I dropped my gaze back to the empty streets. Letting the crickets soft music carry me into a dream like state.

Something in the shadows to my right seemed to move. My shoulders stiffened in sudden anxiety and I stopped walking, holding my breath in the suddenly eerie silence. Forcing myself to relax I took a closer look, peering into the shadows until my eyes ached with the strain. Finding nothing I sighed at my stupidity. After berating myself for letting my imagination get the better of me I continued on. Though I still picked up my pace to be on the safe side. One couldn't be too cautious after all.

The sound of a shoe grinding against dirt sent the hairs on the back of my neck up and a chill racing down my spine. I darted into an ally hidden deep in the shadows and walked as quickly, and quietly, as I could. Pausing only when I heard the sound of swift footsteps following not far behind me. Fear now raced through my body, growing steadily stronger with each frantic beat of my heart. A voice in the back of my head whispered, "_Danger._"

I picked up my pace so that I was now openly running, but slid to a stop as my horrified eyes finally adjusted to the gloom. It was a dead-end, and I had just unknowingly raced towards it. My body froze as the sound of footsteps suddenly stopped. Only to be replaced by the feel of alcohol laced breath blowing hot, heavy pants into my hair. It moistened the strands until it felt as though they were stuck to the back of my neck.

The breaths moved impossibly closer, till its stench tickled my ear. I shivered as what felt like a knife was pressed against my throat, making the sensitive skin there jump and twitch. The metal was so cold that it burned against my quickened pulse. I dropped the bag to my feet in stunned horror, my fingers convulsed in the air.

"Try to scream, and I'll make sure you never make another sound again," His voice was rough and dirty as it scratched cruelly against my ears. The rancid smell of him filled my mouth with bile. I felt his calloused fingers get caught on the fabric of my shirt as his hand came up to cup my chest. I hissed out in pain when he squeezed my right breast so hard it felt as though he intended to rip it off. Tears leaked out the corners of my eyes as his thick, jagged, nails cut deeply into the soft flesh.

"Shhh. What did I tell you about making noise, girly?" He kissed the arch of my neck with chapped and peeling lips; following the trail my tears had left down my cheek with his tongue. A lock of his greasy hair fell onto my shoulder and rubbed disgustingly against my collarbone.

_Why? Why was this happening to me!? What did I do to deserve this? I don't know this man, I've never hurt him; I've never hurt anyone. So why me!?_

His hand dropped from my breast to grope clumsily at the fabric of my pants, ripping at the buckle and tearing them loose. "Now, you're going to be a _good girl _and do as I say, and if you behave I might let you go afterward. If not…well, we'll see then, wont we?" He left his threat hanging in the air and moved on to bite at my ear. His hot, sharp, teeth dug into the tender skin so painfully that it caused the side of my cheek to burn.

I tried to pull my face away from his, but that only brought me closer to him, close enough to rub against his hips. My eyes opened wide in disgust as I felt him grind against me in response, pushing into me with a feverish intensity I hadn't thought possible.

_Please no… __No, no, no, no. Stop!_ _Please…please somebody make him stop…I don't want this, it's _wrong. _This can't be happening, __it _isn't_ happening,_ _I'm dreaming. This is all just some horrible dream, and I'm going to wake up now…_

His rough palm pushed its way down into my jeans, and my teeth started to chatter in harmony with the waves of terror that washed through me. My knees quaked, and it wouldn't take long before they failed to support my weight. My assailants fingers curled greedily around my panties, pulling them down along with my pants. Another pang of horror laced through me when the cold, damp, air touched lower and lower down my waist. Not stopping until it reached half way past the curve of my butt

Goose-flesh raised wherever his hands trailed, soiling my clean skin and leaving a path in their wake that left me feeling cold and dirty. It was too much, it was all just _too much. _I could feel myself shutting down past the fear. Something in my chest was curling in on itself. Pulling me away from my body, away from what this vile man was about to do to me.

The voice in my head whispered to me again, _"Just relax, it'll all be over soon. Just don't fight it." _Shivering, I clung to that voice and the promise it made me.

"Now, lets have a bit of fun," the man panted into my neck, the knife pressing tighter into my exposed throat.

His words barely reached me; I had drawn so deep into myself that I almost missed them. Yet I still heard them all the same, and I still felt his cold fingers digging into my inner thigh. His broken nails left deep, half crescent, scratches in my sensitive skin.

I felt it all through some strange, dim, tunnel. As though it wasn't really happening to me, and how could it? That poor girl being touched by that evil man, with those dirty hands wasn't me. _No…it couldn't be me…it couldn't be…Someone else, it had to be someone else…Not me…_

**AN: Please don't hurt me, tomorrow is my birthday! I swear I'll update…someday.**


	12. Chapter 12: An Unlikely Hero

**AN: This chapter was more trouble than I had expected. Anyway here is the much improved version of chapter twelve. This chapter has been rewritten: 2-20-2013**

**Warning: This chapter is a **_**little**_** violent.**

_"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."_

-Carl Jung

**Chapter 12: An Unlikely Hero**

"Please, just let me go, I won't tell anyone," I croaked hoarsely, not caring in the least that I was shamelessly begging. Ignoring my pleas he pressed the knife even firmer against my neck.

"I told you to be quiet, now shut the fuck up before I-" But he never got to finish that threat before his hand suddenly dropped the knife. A crack rang in my ears followed by a sharp cry of pain as his arm was wrenched back. I could hear his shoulder rip from its socket with a sickening pop. My eyes widened in shock,and I twisted around in time to see something rise up from the darkness and swallow him. Thrashing, it flowed up from the ground in chaotic waves. The indistinct blob filled the air with a rustling hiss that reminded me ominously of a rattlesnake.

The mans left arm dangled uselessly at his side and an agonized scream rose from his throat. In an instant the dark substance rose up to cover his mouth, effectively silencing him. Stepping back in fear that the strange shadow would attack me next I readied myself to make a run for it. Terrified that this new presence was more dangerous than the last.

I made to bolt from the ally, but as soon as I turned to the entrance a new figure caught my frightened eyes. Again my heart sped and I choked on a frightened gasp as I clutched my hands to my chest, wringing at my fingers. As I looked on in terror, I realized that the figure standing at the mouth of the street bathed in sliver moonlight was actually Gaara.

Relief spread through me like warm water, calming the chaotic beat of my heart. _I'm safe now. _I drank in the sight of him with wide, grateful, eyes. It wasn't until I looked at him, _really_ looked at him, that I grew worried once more. Gaara stood slouched over with his knees bent and legs spread far apart. His pale hands tangled into his hair, looking as though he was trying to pull it out in bloody fistfuls. "Don't…don't _touch _her," he panted. His black ringed eyes had scrunched closed in a way that suggested he was in a great deal of pain.

"Gaara…" I whispered taking a shaky step towards him.

"_Stop!" _he barked as more of the shadow stuff, that I now recognized as sand, thrashed around him. Matching the tempo of rage in his voice. He lifted his head slightly, exposing the features of his upturned face to the bright light of the full moon. I couldn't help but freeze at the look in his unnaturally wide eyes. The once beautiful irises were constricted and shuddering; an undeniable madness burning within them that I had never seen before. Gaara's whole face was contorted in a sickening mixture of pain and anger, his grimace exposing a pair of elongated canines, dripping saliva. A light burned in his cold, blue eyes that didn't belong in a human's gaze.

It filled me with a sick sort of dread that weighed heavily on my limbs, sapping me of my strength. _He looks almost... demonic. _Stunned, I watched in frozen horror as he seemed to slip even further into his madness. With a groan he lifted a shaking hand from his head, and as his mouth opened a thin line of drool ran down his pale chin. His whole arm trembled as he stretched it out, his fingers grasping at seemingly nothing. Quiet, then increasingly louder snaps began to fill the air and soon drowned out the sounds of Gaara's labored breathing. With wide eyes I looked over my shoulder, back to the man who had nearly raped me.

Tears cascaded down his dirty face in soppy streams before soaking into the sand that bound him. His dripping nose flared wide to catch the air that his covered mouth was denied. Though his mouth was gagged by Gaara's sand I could still hear his muffled screams. Even with his form blurred it was plain to see that his body was bent and twisted into a position that no human should be. The pain in his eyes glowed nearly as bright as the madness in Gaara's.

Another muffled snap echoed dully in the air, and the man's eyes already wide eyes now bulged from their sockets. Though the light was too dim, I could only imagine that the blood vessels in his eyes must have started bursting. "No..." I breathed, turning back to Gaara. I held no love for the man having his life slowly crushed from him. If anything I hated him for the vile things he would have done to me, but that didn't mean I wanted to watch him die. _I can't let Gaara do this._ I broke from my trance and ran the few paces to my enraged savior. "Gaara, please stop! Don't do this, you don't have to kill him!" I shouted as I closed the gap between us, coming to a stop with my face mere inches from his.

Now that I got a good look at him close up I couldn't hold back my startled gasp. Gaara's whole face was twisted into sharp angles. His black rimmed eyes were dilated and bloodshot, and his thin lips were pulled into a parody of a smile that bared far too many teeth. The moon cast his already pale skin a faint, almost corpse-like, blue. Currents of air created by Gaara's thrashing tendrils of sand blew his hair around his face wildly; throwing the shadows into a dark dance that moved across his sharpened features with a fluid grace. His hunched back and bent knees brought all these things down to my level for my horrified eyes to see. Whispering his name I stared into the sky blue eyes that didn't seem to even see me anymore.

_I _know_ he's killed countless times before, it's his _job_ to murder people. That is just the way that the world works..._ I just couldn't stand to see him do it. This would give his victims a face, a voice_. _It would make all those deaths he'd caused too real._ This man was a bad person, but what right did we have to say he should die? _If I watched him do this, then I wouldn't be able to see Gaara as anything more than a living weapon. Chuckling darkly, Gaara's voice bounced off the close-knit alley walls, echoing in the darkness. _No, I can't let him do this. I don't want to be afraid…_

"Gaara," I reached out and placed my hand flat against his distorted face, my fingers almost brushing the ropey scar on his forehead. "Please, don't kill him," I begged. "You can stop now, I'm alright so just let him go. Please, for me?" Gaara flinched and dropped his arm back to his side. I could hear the sand fall to the ground in a hiss, followed by a soft thud. "Thank you, Gaara." I smiled softly as sanity slowly began to seep back into his eyes.

"Kida…?" he said softly with a questioning tone, looking as if he only just remembered I was there. Which might very well likely be the case. He looked oddly childlike now compared with the enraged creature he had just been. I kept my hand pressed to his face a moment longer before letting out the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. Closing my eyes with a sigh, I pulled Gaara into a warm and gentle embrace. I felt him tense as my arms wrapped awkwardly between his back and the oversized gourd of sand. My forehead rested against his chest as I took deep, calming, breaths. Allowing his scent to invade my senses like a drug. With my face pressed so close to him I could finally smell past the gourd's bloody scent. Gaara himself gave off an aroma like leather and cinnamon, with something else that reminded me of a rich dark chocolate.

_Oh God, he smells amazing. Has he always smell this good? I sure didn't remember _this _from when we were kids._

Gaara seemed to have frozen the moment I'd leaned into him. Even his breathing had stopped; though I could still feel the pounding of his heart against my chest. It sent a rumble through my entire body with its steady rhythm, matching the raised tempo of my own heartbeat. Something about this just felt so _right, _never before had I been filled with such a deep sense of belonging. A warm cloud of serenity floated over me. It was such a sharp contrast to the mind numbing terror I'd been in that my knees felt weak.

_I could stay like this forever, but Gaara really needs to breathe. How long has it been? At least a few minutes, surely._

Once I realized how much time had gone by since Gaara had taken a breath the spell was broken. Replaced with the worry that he'd pass out if he went much longer. Reluctantly, I loosened my grip and pulled away, but as soon as I'd started to step back Gaara grabbed my shoulders and yanked me back into his chest. My chin connected sharply with his collarbone, the pain causing my fingers and toes to curl. He crushed me into his body so tightly I don't know how my ribs didn't crack under the extreme force. Gaara's arms surrounded me like a vice, squeezing me with more pressure than I would have thought possible.

The sound of his fast, ragged, breathing filled my ears, and with each pant he sucked in his ribcage pressed even tighter into my much smaller frame. Every time I tried to snatch a quick gasp his chest would hammer back into mine, forcing what little oxygen I'd gotten back out. Spots soon danced before my eyes and clouded my vision as I struggled to breathe. _Air! I need air!_

"G-Gaara…can't…breathe…" I choked out in what little breath I'd gulped in, but he didn't seem to hear me. My pulse thundered in my ears as my heart tried to beat against the pressure that threatened to smother it. _I have to do something…now, but what?_ _Think, Kida, think! What can I do if he won't listen to me? _An idea floated thickly through my oxygen starved brain. If Gaara wasn't going to listen then I'd have to _make _him notice me. I tilted my face to the thick muscle at the junction of his neck and shoulder. Pressing my lips against the warm, smooth, skin I opened my mouth as wide as I could manage and bit down sharply.

The reaction was immediate. His arms released me and he stepped back with a hiss, one hand reaching up to his neck. I fell to my knees gasping in large lungfuls of precious air, my arms braced against the dirt floor to steady myself. "S-sorry Gaara, but you were c-choking me!" I coughed.

He stared at me silently for a moment before disappearing in a whirl of sand, leaving me alone once again. Well, almost alone. The man who had attacked me earlier still laid unconscious at the back of the alley next to some bags of garbage. _I'd better get out of here before someone comes to see what made all that noise._ Whoever came could take care of him; I certainly wasn't going to call for help. I'd stopped Gaara from killing him; there was no way in _hell _I was going to take him to the hospital too.

Pulling myself back onto my shaking legs I stood for a moment to regain my bearings. Realizing that my pants still hung loosely on my hips I re-buckled them hastily before pulling my shirt back into place. Retrieving my discarded bag I gave the man a final glance before turning my back on him and leaving. It was up to him to stay alive until somebody found him, if he didn't make it till morning it wasn't anyone's fault but his own.

Clutching my paper sack to my chest, and still uncertain on my feet, I staggered from the alleys mouth unnoticed. I quietly made my way back to the village gates, more confused than ever about my feelings for Gaara, and possibly even more importantly: his feelings for me.

**AN: I've got to say if it were me instead of Kida I would have happily watched Gaara kill him. Unfortunately Kida is a more sensitive soul than I. Oh well, what are you gonna do?**


	13. Chapter 13: An Unlikely Rescue

**AN: Usual disclaimer here: I do not, in any way, shape or form, own Naruto. Kida, on the other hand, **_**is **_**mine. The poor thing. This chapter has been rewritten: 2-23-2013**

_**Warning! **_**This chapter is a little violent! As are most chapters in Gaara's pov.**

_"Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead."  
-Lucille Ball_

**Chapter 13: An Unlikely Rescue**

"_Because he is precious to me…"_

Those absurd words had bounced through my psyche all day. Like fingers drumming against the inside of my skull: tap, tap, tap. I could hear it, like nails scrapping against the bone. All because that meddlesome mother-hen had stopped me from killing the boy in the green jumpsuit. If he hadn't jumped between us at that last second the boy would be dead right now. His blood mingling with the countless others that had met a similar fate.

Instead, he was probably sitting in a hospital bed somewhere with his _friends _fawning over him. Congratulating him for surviving his encounter with Suna's pet demon. I bet they were laughing at how the boy had torn the sand armor from my body like broken bits of clay. Discussing merrily among themselves my horribly discolored, pupiless, orbs. Joyfully mocking the deep bruises around my eyes and sickly pallor of my skin, and how it marked me as the freak that I am.

A low growl hissed through my gritted teeth at the thought. _Why was _he _so _special? _He couldn't defeat me, so _why _did he save him! _I ripped at my hair, trying to force back the dull ache that had blossomed between my eyes. _Precious people…don't make me sick. There is no such thing, humans care only for themselves, it is as simple as that. _I rocked back and forth gently to calm myself, ignoring the unpleasant bite of the roof tiles.

Closing my black rimmed eyes, evidence of my torturous inability to sleep, I took a deep breath of the heavy night air.

A strong gust of wind blew against my sweaty face, tossing my thin hair carelessly in its wake. The humid gust of summer air roused me from my inner reflection with a start. It wasn't the feel of the wind caressing my face that had caused my back to stiffen in response. Nor was it was the sound that the wind carried to my sensitive ears that sent a spark of fire into my veins.

"Try to scream, and I'll make sure you never make another sound again," The voice dripped with a dark intent that had my bloodlust responding to his unknown challenge.

Though that still wasn't what had my throat snap shut, and turned my mouth as dry as the sand-stone walls of Suna. It wasn't only the man's voice that was carried to me on the wind, but also the scent of just who he was talking to.

_Kida._

Her aroma reached me like a faint perfume, almost masked by the choking stench of rancid garbage. _What was she doing in the village this late? _Normally, I would watch her from the rooftops as she left the ramen stand at night, but she should have been gone more than an hour ago. So why was her scent mingled with that man's on the street bellow? _It must be someone else with him. There was no way that Kida is still here-_

"_Shhh. _What did I tell you about making noise, girly?" Whatever sound the girl had made was too faint for even my sharp ears to catch. Without hearing the girl's voice there was no way of proving that it _wasn't _Kida the stranger was talking to.

Standing slowly, so as not to unbalance the gourd strapped to my back, I straightened and walked to the edge of the building. Stepping off the rim of the four-story building without a second thought. The cool night air rushed past my face and howled in my ears, but it only lasted a moment before my feet hit the ground. I absorbed the impact on the balls of my feet and bent my knees, landing soundlessly as a shadow. Pacing around the corner I followed the sound of the voice up ahead.

"Now, lets have a bit of fun," His tone set my teeth on edge. Even if it wasn't Kida I may have to kill that man just to satisfy the bloodlust that had arisen in me.

"Please, just let me go, I won't tell anyone."

This new voice froze me were I stood. It _was _Kida, there could be no doubting it now. She was here and this stranger was going to hurt her...hurt what was _mine. _A savage growl rose from my chest, all but smothering any rational thought I might have previously had.

_So, this drunkard thought he could just take what was _mine _did he? The bastard would pay for this. His flesh would bleed crimson tears for this mistake. For his _final _mistake._

I rounded the corner to a sight that sent a wave of fury through my body so powerful that I doubled over in pain, cradling my aching head in my hands. My anger and bloodlust had roused Shukaku and sent his burning chakra mingling with my own.

The man held Kida tightly against him with a knife pressed to her pale, slender throat. All the while his other hand freely explored the inside of her pants. More than anything, it was the look of sheer _hopeless terror _etched onto her upturned features that put me past the point of reason. The girl, who had stood up to me where even seasoned shinobi trembled, was standing there with silent tears pouring from her frightened eyes.

The feisty spirit that had always shone so strongly from her beryl orbs had been put out. The light that I had often felt was laughing at me, mocking the deplorable creature that I am, was gone. I had hated that spark, hated it for all its warmth and fire, but now that it was gone I wanted it _back._

With a silent snarl I pressed the pain from my mind. Ignoring my discomfort so that I could get the knife away from Kida's throat before it could do any damage. A single focused thought sent my sand at him. It cut through the air in a serpentine streak with a deadly, but sweetly familiar hiss.

"I told you to be quiet, now shut the fuck up before I-" The sand had reached him before he could finish speaking. Its deadly force snapped his whole arm away from Kida's neck; without so much as a single grain brushing against her skin.

He wasn't _nearly _as lucky. The momentum of my sand sent a gratifying crack through the air. The satisfying sound lit a spark of pleasure in my chest that was only fueled farther by his startled cry of pain.

I watched with a silent thrill as his arm flopped listlessly at his side. It was bent into a twisted, almost artistic angle from his dislocated shoulder down to his broken wrist. Unfortunately, the sight had to be covered by sand before I could take the time to exam it in greater detail. If I'd allowed him to continue his shrill wailing much longer it wouldn't take much time before someone else showed up, and I wanted to _enjoy _this.

A sudden sharp pain lacerated through my skull, making my vision flash white as my demon began to truly awaken. _No! Not now! This is _my _kill not yours! _I couldn't let him have this one. Not when the bastard had put his _filthy _paws all over what was _mine. _No, he had to pay by my hands. But now the sand spirit wanted to feed on his blood. Mother was _demanding _it.

I could feel Shukaku inside me, clawing at the fragile grip on my sanity. Ripping away the walls I'd placed around my already damaged mind. His claws dug deep into my psyche, I could almost picture imaginary furrows on my brain left behind by his savagely raking claws. Shukaku screamed at my disobedience, flashing images of painful memories across my battered minds eye to punish me.

"_Monster!"_

"_Filthy animal, why don't you just die?"_

"_Run, run away! Hurry!"_

The voices of my past filled my ears, tearing at my control. But still I held my ground. Refusing to give so much as a fingernail of control to the demon. _No, Mother. Not this time._

Slighted, Shukaku demanded to know why I refused him, for it had been years since I'd ignored a command that called for the spilling of blood. Looking through my eyes to see what had caused my disobedience he stared ravenously at the man snared in our sand. Shrieking, he threw himself against his seal, almost desperate to gain control of my changing body.

Fangs had already began forcing my aching mouth apart, and I could feel hot saliva leaking down my chin. I didn't know how much more I could bear, and just when I thought that I could take no more...He paused. Shukaku halted his attack for a moment as he realized that there was more than just one human with me, and this one wasn't yet encased by sand…

Furiously, he redoubled his efforts with a single-minded ferocity that almost brought me to my knees. He filled my head with an ear shattering roar that shook the very foundations of his prison. He wanted the girl; he wanted her blood just as much as the drunkard that I'd already snared. Maybe even more so just because I wouldn't give her to him, but I couldn't let him take Kida.

"Don't…don't _touch _her…" I seethed as I struggled for control, squeezing my eyes shut to concentrate. This was one time that I couldn't give in to him, I _wouldn't _give in.

"Gaara…" Kida's voice cut through the haze like a kunai, breaking my focus for a moment as the sound of her footsteps announced her approach.

"_Stop!" _I snapped at her, and the sand rose up in its split second of control, fighting with me for dominance. _Was this girl really that stupid!? Maybe she wasn't worth saving after all…maybe Mother was right. Maybe she would be of better use to me dead… _I felt the demon twist in anticipation, encouraging my weakness of will, but when I looked into her eyes, a new voice echoed in my head.

"_There, you see? All that's left is Gaara."_

Her words rang through my head as surely as Shukaku's. Only instead of slicing through my mind like a white-hot knife, this voice gave me a reason to fight back. She wasn't like the others, she was mine, and until I decided that I no longer wanted her I would not allow her to die.

With a groan I forced my right hand away from my abused scalp, reaching instead for the man who was still screaming uselessly into the sand. Pulling my fingers into a closed fist I began to perform a desert coffin; making sure to crush him slowly for what he'd done. There would be pain in his death, perhaps even enough to dampen the thirst of the Shukaku's bloodlust.

I opened my burning eyes so as not to miss so much as a _moment _of his suffering. I could see Kida staring at me from the edge of my vision; though I couldn't make out her expression. Nor would I turn away from the look of agony in the man's eyes. This bastard was about to pay in _fucking spades._

The quiet night was soon filled with the glorious sound of brittle bones snapping. It was music unlike any other sound found in nature. And it was made all the sweeter by the crystal tears falling freely from his pained eyes. As a particularly loud crack echoed, those same orbs bulged even further from their sockets than I had dared hope for.

I chuckled darkly to myself in the complete and utter ecstasy of the moment. All my attention focused on the little veins in his distended eyes. Enthralled as I watched the tiny vessels burst open and bleed out, mixing with his tears and staining them a pale pink.

"Gaara," A hand reached out and was placed flush against my face, freezing me where I stood. The delicate fingers almost brushing the scar on my forehead. "Please, don't kill him. You can stop now, I'm alright so just let him go. Please, for me?" her soft voice pleaded. Compelling me to release the sand, and to my astonishment I obeyed; dropping the man unceremoniously to the ground with a dull thud.

"Thank you, Gaara," she said softly as relief flooded her leaf green eyes.

"Kida…?" I mumbled, confused. I just didn't understand. _That man had tried to hurt her, so shouldn't she hate him? Doesn't she wish for his death? She had clearly been afraid of him, so surely she must desire the end of his existence. How else can she go on with her life without living in fear knowing he was still alive?_

Just when I'd thought this girl's confusing ways could become no stranger, she did the one thing I'd never expected: she _hugged _me. Her thin arms tried to wrap around my waist, but were blocked by the gourd strapped to my body. Instead, she settled for resting her forearms as best she could against my back.

It was in that moment that I felt something change, something I had never known I was capable of feeling: _peace. _True the instant she pulled me into her arms the gaping chasm in my chest closed. Healed over as though the wound in my heart had been filled by this tiny, insignificant, little girl.

Her face pressed just below my shoulder while her heart beat into my chest like a small bird, soft and warm. I couldn't breathe. This sudden, and complete, absence of pain was more than I could handle. More than I had ever dared to _hope _for. Her breath warmed the skin of my shoulder causing the hair on my arms to rise.

My head was swimming as my scattered thoughts stumbled over themselves, trying to make sense of the sensory overload. I was dimly aware that Shukaku was, blissfully, silent. Something that I was immensely thankful for. I very much doubted that I could process what was happening with him whispering dark promises in my ear.

The unfamiliar sensation of flesh on flesh was almost more than I could comprehend. How could I have known I would enjoy being touched? No one had tried to touch me in years, they were all too afraid to get too close. Everyone but _her._

_Is this...is this what acceptance feels like? _I felt like I was floating, drifting, lost.

But the spell she had me under was shattered as her arms began to first loosen, and then draw away from me. I could already feel the hole start to open back up, threatening to swallow me once again. The darkness clawed at my heart, dragging me back into its cold shadows...

_No! I can't go back to that pain, not again! _I latched my hands onto her frail shoulders and forced her back into my chest. Wrapping my arms around her slim torso I held on as though my life depended on it. The way Kida's little body molded with mine made it feel as though she had been designed for me, _made _for my arms and mine alone.

I buried my face into her mass of curly flame colored hair, frantically dragging in deep breaths of her essence. My eyes closed in pleasure. Her scent had always been singularly unique, but up close like this made it almost over powering. She smelled like sun warmed honeysuckles and ginger, with the faintest whiff of what could only be described as freshly cut strawberries. With my eyes squeezed shut I could almost see the fresh-cut fruit; its tart juices lazily bleeding from its torn and puckered skin. I found myself wondering if she would taste like them too.

There was no way I could pull away from her now, not when her scent alone was sending me over the edge. Driving me crazy in a whole new, albeit not unpleasant, way. Even the soft strands of her hair pressed against my chapped lips was strangely soothing.

I didn't know how she was doing this to me, but at the moment I couldn't find the will to _care. _Even Shukaku was all but forgotten in this unexpected ecstasy I was experiencing. Never before had I found something that could compare to the high of watching someone's blood seep out. The joy of seeing a body torn apart by a swipe of blistering sand, ragged gashes pouring blood like water from an open facet.

_But this…this is so much better. I could stay like this forever..._

A sudden slash of heat on my neck brought me from my musings with a flare of discomfort that boarded on painful. I released Kida and stepped back, bringing a hand experimentally to my suddenly stinging neck. _What was that? Had Kida felt it too? Wait, where is she?_

Looking down, to my surprise, I found Kida spluttering and kneeling in the dirt with her arms stretched out to support herself. She was gasping for breath and coughing, her small ribcage heaving as she fought for air. It was oddly reminiscent of how Kankuro sputtered whenever I gave the idiot a firmer warning with my sand. _But why is Kida acting like that?_

"S-sorry Gaara, but you were c-choking me!" She coughed.

_So, I had caused her gasping. _A faint twinge of remorse nipped at me, _but why is she apologiz- wait did _she _cause the hot sting on my neck? _Not that it was uncalled for if the blue tinge to her lips was any indication. Regardless of what had caused her discomfort, I had much to contemplate. _Very much indeed._

I stared down at the girl, watching as she regained her breath_. _As soon as her lips had lost their unhealthy hue I transported myself in a whirlwind of sand back to the rooftop. From there I supervised Kida as she got clumsily to her feet.

Secretly guarding her from above as she adjusted her clothing and retrieved a package from beside a pile of rubbish. I watched her give the fallen man a final, seething look before walking on uncertain legs to the exit of the alleyway. From there she headed in the direction of the village gates where she finally slipped from my field of vision.

_What was it about that girl that had not only curbed my bloodlust but had silenced the demands of Shukaku? Just what kind of person can calm the soul of a demon…?_

**AN: Well how was that? I hope it wasn't too awful, I feel like I did a better job with Gaara last time. Oh well, it can't be helped. Please let me know if you found any mistakes.**


	14. Chapter 14: New Customers

**AN: Well, this was a quick enough fix. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Naruto does not belong to me. Never has, never will. This chapter was rewritten: 2-24-2013**

_"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."_

_-Mother Teresa_

**Chapter 14: New Customers**

"Son-of-a-mother-fluffing-biscuit!" I cried, holding my freshly burnt hand. Biting my cheek to keep from shouting the profanities I wished to scream but couldn't, because there was a little girl in pig-tails sitting wide-eyed at the edge of the counter. Reaching out with her pudgy hands to place some scattered coins onto the oak counter-top.

"Are you okay?" Ayame asked from the kitchen doorway, looking at the hand I had clutched to my chest.

"Yeah I'm fine, I've been wanting too have my fingerprints removed for ages anyway," I joked dryly.

Walking past me she rummaged through the freezer. "Here, this should help," Ayame said handing me a rag filled with ice.

"Why don't you just take care of the customers and I'll handle the rest of the cooking for the day," she gave a sympathetic grimace at my reddened hand.

"Thanks," I said, holding the cool, damp material to my blistered palm.

This was all Gaara's fault, and the next time I saw hide nor hair of that slippery little creep I'd be sure to inform him of that fact. It had been three long days since my close call in the alleyway, and since that night Gaara had stopped coming to visit me in the mornings.

It was because of him that I'd been distracted and grabbed a hold of the hot pan without gloves. I sighed as I put the rag into the sink. Returning to what I'd been doing before I'd gone into the kitchen and scalded myself. _I guess this is just going to be one of those days where I should have stayed in bed…or bed roll, anyway._

"Excuse me I'm ready to order now," a voice called impatiently from behind me; I took a deep breath and forced a fake smile before turning around. A girl with teal eyes and dirty-blond hair tied up in four pig-tails sat tapping her fingers looking annoyed.

"All right, how may I help you?" I asked, fighting to keep the frustration from seeping into my tone.

"Could you tell me if this place serves any decent food, or is it garbage like the rest of the slop in this village?" she snipped looking down her nose at the ramen shop, giving it a single sweeping glance.

"Well I haven't had anything bad here so far," I chirped ignoring her jibe; it wasn't like I lived here anyway.

"Hmmm…fine then, I'll just have the day's special," she huffed examining her nails.

"And I'll have the same," a deep voice to my right said suddenly, making me jump. I turned, wide-eyed, to see a young man dressed entirely in black. Sharp, purple lines were painted across his broad face.

"Where did you come from?" I gasped startled. He turned to his pigtailed companion with a smirk.

"Civilians," he chuckled smugly to her while rolling his eyes. It was then that I noticed the headband stitched to his black hood, and the matching one tied to the blonde's tanned neck.

"Oh! Are you guy's from Suna?" I asked, my earlier annoyance completely forgotten.

"Hmmm. Well at least she can recognize the emblem of the Sand," the girl purred smugly. Ignoring her jab at my intelligence I dived right into my first question.

"Do either of you know a boy by the name of Gaara?" I paused as I noticed their backs stiffen and their breaths hitch in their throats. "He has blue eyes, reddish-brown hair, a scar on his forehead, and carries a gourd filled with sand on his back," I continued waving my hands in the air with to demonstrate his height and width. The two Suna ninja looked at each other nervously for a tense moment before turning back to me.

"How, do you know Gaara?" the boy with the painted face asked slowly as the girl next to him fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress and bit her lip.

"Oh…well, we're old friends, but…something happened the other night and I haven't seen him since," I lowered my gaze from the disbelieving stares they were sending my way.

"Old…_friends? _Are you sure?" doubt colored her voice as she looked at the boy to her left.

"Yes I'm sure, do you guys know where he is?" I asked hopefully, already planning to search for him as soon as my shift was over.

"Gaara...He doesn't exactly tell us where he goes, and we don't ask him," the young man said to me tensely as the girl next to him nodded.

"But, you see him sometimes, right?" I refused to give up hope just yet.

"Yes," they spoke in unison, looking at me with the same confused expression while I perked up instantly, not bothering to hide the hope I felt.

"Then maybe you can give him a message for me next time you see him?" Taking their joined silence for a yes I continued and gave them my tidings. "Could you tell him that Kida really wants to see him, and that if he doesn't come to me then I'll just hunt him down myself." Taking a deep breath and biting my lip, I paused.

"Is that all?" the girl asked sitting back in her seat with her brows furled.

"No, could you also tell him…thank you," I finished softly staring down at my feet to hide the blush that I could feel blooming across my cheeks. I looked up at the sound of shoes scuffling against the dirt. The two had stood up and were now looking at me thoughtfully.

"We'll pass on your message when we see him," the boy said stiffly while his companion gave me a disbelieving look before they both turned and walked away.

"Hey wait, weren't you gonna order something?" I called after them, confused.

"Maybe next time," The girl said waving me off over her shoulder.

_Hmmm, what a strange couple. They seemed kind of familiar too…shame I didn't catch their names. _I shrugged off the thought and went back to wiping the counters. After all it was almost lunch time and I didn't want to get behind before Naruto showed up like he always did.

Right on time the cloth pulled back to reveal not only Naruto, but also what must have been his teammates Sakura and Sasuke with him. Though I'd never met his team, Naruto had talked about Sakura's pink hair, in rather great detail, on several occasions. Of course, that was only when he wasn't complaining about his male counterparts smug attitude. From the aloof look on the new boy's finely boned face, and the girl's bubblegum colored hair, who else could these people be?

"Hey Kida, look who I brought with me today; you'll never guess who these two are!" Naruto yelled excitedly with his trade mark face splitting grin while he pointed frantically at the others.

"Sakura and Sasuke?" I smirked as his face fell.

"Huh? Yeah, how ja' know?" he asked in a subdued voice while giving the back of his head a generous scratch.

"Are you kidding? With how much you talk about these two I could just about tell you their shoe size." I smiled at the blonde's crest fallen expression.

"You idiot! Don't you have anything better to do than gossip!?" the petite pink haired girl shouted as she slammed her fist into Naruto's unsuspecting skull.

_This was the girl he _liked? _Seriously? She seems kind of violent to me, but maybe he likes that kind of thing…kinky. _I shook those thoughts from my head as I took a better look at the raven haired boy, now sitting at the booth and ignoring his ranting teammate.

"Um, Sasuke right? Can I get you anything yet?" I asked, choosing to also ignore the other two for now.

He looked at me with bored black eyes, "One bowl of chicken ramen," he said curtly before closing his eyes and resting his chin on folded hands.

Nodding, I went to the kitchen and gave his order to Ayame, then went back to get the other two, but it seemed that Sakura had other plans for the poor knuckle-headed blond. I can only assume from the list of offenses she was shouting that he had been getting on her nerves all day…poor kid. I looked over at the silent member of their squad. I had to admit, I could see why his name was on nearly every young girl's lips.

With dark hair surrounding flawless pale skin like an angry black cloud, shapely brows arched over large eyes, and a long muscular frame; he wasn't a bad-looking guy. Though his coal-black eyes were a bit flat for my taste. I preferred a little more color than that…like blue. _Bright and shining like the moon shrouded on a pitch black night- _I cut that dangerous thought off there, that was one road I'd been avoiding for days and I wasn't about to go down it now. Looking for a distraction I chose the quiet boy before me.

"Do they do this often?" I nodded my head towards the other two when one of his dark eyes creaked open.

"Hn," he grunted before closing it again.

"Was that a yes?" I asked ignoring the similarities between _this _silent brooder and another one I knew. In return for my troubles I got a whole _two _opened eyes glaring at me. _Well don't I feel special. _"I'll take it as a yes 'hn' in that case." I nodded ignoring the annoyed look on his face.

"Excuse me, can I have a chicken ramen too?" the little pinket chimed in a surprisingly soft voice as she slid gracefully into the seat next to "Mr. I can't form big people words."

"Sure," I said with a nervous smile and took a step back.

"And the usual for you too, Naruto?" I called looking down at the twitching and bruised boy lying in a heap on the floor.

"Y-yes please," the blond whimpered in a miserable voice without looking up.

I went back to Ayame with the new orders and hid there shamelessly till the food was ready. Carrying the three bowls back on a platter with my good hand, I backed through the doorway carefully mumbling a quiet chant of "Please don't trip," under my breath.

With great satisfaction I made it through the door safely, only to not raise the platter high enough, and consequently clipped the counter-top. One of the chicken bowls went flying in an arch through the air before a pale hand flashed out and caught it. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the convenient ninja for using his ninja powers for good.

"Thanks, sorry about that," I mumbled while passing out Sakura's and Naruto's bowls.

"Hn, you should watch what you're doing," he snipped digging into his bowl without another word.

"Sasuke don't be so rude! It was an accident!" Naruto shouted from his seat on the other side of an annoyed and twitching Sakura.

"It's all right, Naruto. Is there anything else I can get you guys?" I asked trying to save him from the beating that was surely coming.

"Na, I'm good," The blonde slurped through a large mouthful.

"No thank you, this is fine," Sakura said, taking a much smaller bite.

I turned to look at the black-haired boy waiting for the yes or no that would release me to hide in the kitchen like I wanted. And wait I did…and wait, and wait, and wait… "Um, and you? Is there anything I can get for you?" I forced myself to ask, the subservient question leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Hn," he dismissed without looking up.

I took a closer look at the black-haired boy silently eating his ramen with his head downcast. Thinking suspiciously for a moment that perhaps Gaara had disguised himself as another silent brooder. Sasuke was almost pale enough, but I immediately disregarded the thought once I remembered that Gaara wouldn't trouble himself to do that.

At first this boy had irritated me with the superior air he had about him, but now I realized that this poor, unfortunate boy, Sasuke, was just tragically born without a personality. And should be pitied for the sad life he must surely lead.

I wonder if his league of rabid fans were aware of his sad birth defect. Shrugging I walked back to the kitchen, ignoring the tense look Sakura was giving me for staring at Sasuke. I had more interesting things to do then contemplate boys with the emotional range of your average saltine cracker. Important things, like ice packs for burnt hands…

**AN: I know this chapter sucks. But I needed something more than GaaraxKida before I put them in the same place again. I know Sakura isn't always that violent, but this is just Kida's first impression of her.**** Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15: Will I Ever Understand Him?

**AN: I'm really loving how easy these chapters are to replace. As always, Naruto does not belong to me, but Kida is mine. This chapter has been rewritten: 2-28-2013**

_"The optimist already sees the scar over the wound; the pessimist still sees the wound underneath the scar."_

_-Ernst Schroder_

**Chapter 15: Will I Ever Understand Him?**

I leaned over the river's edge, balancing on the balls of my feet. Or rather, I teetered on the verge of falling face first into the frigid creek, but who's judging here? Clumsily, I washed my dishes with numb fingers. Giving my plate one last swish underwater, I carefully stood and turned around, and to my surprise came face to face with a looming, narrowed eyed, Gaara.

"Yip!" I cried startled, and fell backwards, bottom first, into the half-frozen water I'd been so careful not to touch before. My dishes fell from my hands as the frigid stream bit into my skin like a thousand needles. Eyes wide and gasping, I jumped back out and nearly collided with Gaara yet again. I was stopped at the last moment by a bony hand pressed firmly against my collarbone. Wide eyed I stared up at him as the bitterly cold water dripped from my soaked pants. Goose-flesh raised on my legs as the droplets rolled down my thighs and filled my shoes. "G-Gaara? What-"

"You sent word you needed to see me? Well then what is it, and make it quick," he interrupted me with a cool glare.

I stuttered in confusion, "Huh...?"

"You told my teammates you wished to speak with me."

I looked him over for a moment before I bent to pick up my dropped dishes, surprised he had not only gotten the message but that he also responded to it.

"You came…because I wanted you to?" I asked, making sure that I understood his reasoning. A low grunt of agreement was all I got in answer from the stoic boy, and that was all I really needed.

"Well…yeah, I guess I did ask you to come," I said lamely. Looking down I tried to pull up my heavy, water-logged, jeans with one hand while my bandaged one balanced the plate from breakfast. A tin mug clattered as it rolled around the dish freely. I heard an exasperated sigh at the same time the plate was taken from my uneven grasp.

Startled, I looked up to see Gaara holding the metal platter in one hand while looking pointedly at the surrounding trees. A big grin split over my face as I quickly wrenched my sodden clothes back into place.

"Thanks!" I chirped, patting his arm carefully with my bandaged fingertips before I took my dishes back from him.

He looked down at my gauze covered appendage with a wrinkled nose. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Why do you just assume that I did it?" I sniffed indignantly.

"Because it looks like you bandaged it yourself."

I looked down at the dingy cloth wrapped loosely around my still tender palm. The gauze was tied into a sloppy knot that would surely start to unravel again soon. "Oh yeah…_that," _I muttered sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I told you I got it fighting a man-eating tiger?" I gave a hopeful smile.

"No," he stated simply giving me a shrewd look.

"How about fighting crime?" I tried again but only got a blank stare for my efforts.

"Okay, how about this, I got it pulling a little old lady from a fire?" I puffed my chest out proudly for emphasis, this time getting an annoyed look from Gaara.

"_Fine, _if you must know," I sighed giving up the fight for sounding at least marginally cool, "I burnt my hand at work by grabbing a pan that was hot without wearing a glove. Are you satisfied now?" I huffed.

"Why, would I be satisfied?" Gaara's hairless brows knotted up in confusion.

"Gaara, I was just being sarcastic, oh you know what, never mind," I grumbled walking past him and dropping my burden back in its bag before searching out a dry pair of clothes. After finding one I started unzipping the wet pants I was wearing. I froze and blood rushed to my cheeks. Peering over my shoulder at Gaara I realized, to my horror, what I'd almost done.

"Um, G-Gaara," I stuttered, sure that I was beyond the point of '_Kida's face looks like a tomato' _and onto '_Kida's face is going to catch on fire'. _Hoping that he wouldn't notice my blush I tried not to meet his eyes. "Would you mind turning around for a second?" He stood still for a long moment before turning his back to me with agonizing slowness.

For an embarrassingly long time I struggled to pull off the wet jeans that had molded themselves to my cold legs. After a couple of minutes, and a few grunts later, I was wearing clean, dry, clothes once again.

Balling my wet pants up and throwing them by my dying fire, I turned around to face Gaara once more. To my surprise I found him standing face to face with my mouth I stifled a laugh as I watched the black horse extend his neck as far as it would reach. His eyes rolled white in his effort to inspect the stranger without coming any closer.

He stood with his front hooves planted firmly in place, and his back legs spread-eagle to balance out his awkward position. Shadow gave a huge snort, that sent Gaara's hair blowing around him, before retracting his jug-head and walking off to graze again. He kept one ear pricked suspiciously in the young ninja's direction.

"Does it normally do that?" Gaara asked cocking his head to one side to peer over his shoulder at me.

"Only when he meets someone new," I grinned, "and _his _name is, Shadow. I'm surprised its taken him this long to check you out."

"Hn," he grunted turning away from the horse. "Give me your hand," he said, reaching his own out towards me.

"Why?" I asked confused, holding the hurt digits to my chest. "What do you want my hand for?"

"I'm going to replace your bandage before you injure yourself further." It was then that I noticed the crisp white bandage he held. I stepped closer to him cautiously, looking up into his expressionless eyes for a long moment before surrendering my hand.

He draped the clean dressing over my wrist, and with his free hand reached into his pocket to pull out a kunai. Shocked by this I tried to yank my arm away from his grasp, but to no avail. I might as well have been pulling on a stone statue. Just as I was about to voice my angry protest he poised the knife carefully over my wrist, and with a flick cleanly cut my dirty gauze away.

Startled, I watched the torn cloth fall away from me and float gently to the ground. Looking back at Gaara, I saw him reach back into his pocket and drop the knife back in. Taking my wrist firmly in both hands he turned it about in the light, examining the puckered, pink skin, coated in a thick layer of aloe-vera. He ran one slender finger along the edges of the burn, tickling my sensitive palm. His nail accidentally dragged across a particularly tender spot, causing hiss of pain to escape my lips.

He stopped his exam and looked down into my eyes with a thoughtful expression. "That hurt you?" he asked without turning his eyes away from mine.

"Yeah, kind of," I said lowering my gaze from his, "just a little bit."

He gave my hand a final glance before taking the bandage from my arm and gently wrapping it around my burn, taking care not to tie it too tightly.

Watching Gaara's large hands twist and turn gracefully around my own was almost hypnotic. His delicate looking bones seemed to be dancing beneath his milky white skin. High tendons in the back of his thin fingers stood in sharp-relief, casting soft shadows. His wrist flowed smoothly into the hard muscles of his forearm, and as I stared at it I was gripped with the sudden urge to touch him. To see if his alabaster skin was as cold as it looked.

"Done."

Blinking in surprise I looked back to my own hand, now wrapped in a clean white bandage and tied off snugly. "Oh," I muttered, holding my palm closer to my face and examining the fine job done. "Thanks. I guess you really did tie a better knot than I-"

"Why did you call me here?" Gaara interrupted me.

"Huh?" I looked back at him, feeling off-balance by the abrupt change in subject. Biting my lip I struggled to find the right way to word what I was feeling. Hating the awkward shyness that Gaara was bringing out in me.

"Well…I just kind of…" I paused taking a deep breath and forcing my eyes away from his pearlescent-blue ones. "I just wanted to know why you stopped coming in the mornings; I guess I got used to your company." I stared at the ground for what felt like an eternity before ungluing my eyes from the dirt and looking back at Gaara.

He was watching me, his expression blank but his eyes probing. "You," he paused for several breaths, seeming to search for someway to phrase his question, "want me here?"

"Maybe, a little bit." My face heated in a deep blush as I looked down again. I wasn't used to feeling this vulnerable, and was clueless as how to handle it. "I kind of liked cooking for more than one person, and it was…nice, having someone to talk to."

An awkward and heavy silence filled the air as I tried desperately to focus on anything but the boy standing before me. Finding, or rather forcing, myself to muster the courage I needed to look up again. I found to my relief, and almost irritated surprise, that Gaara wasn't looking at me at all. Instead, he seemed completely engrossed on something at the edge of my camp.

"Gaara…what is it?" I asked confused, yet still feeling deeply relived that his attention was off myself, for now.

"Hn."

"What's that Lassie, Timmy fell into a well?" My voice dripped with sarcasm, annoyed that I'd been so embarrassed to talk to him when his attention was so obviously elsewhere. The look he gave me for my snide comment could have easily melted a rock; I returned it with an irritated scowl.

Gaara's glare quickly vanished as he returned to staring at whatever it was that he'd found; his hairless brows furled ever so slightly.

"What?" I asked trying to follow his unwavering gaze.

He momentarily brought his attention back to me before turning and gestured with one hand. I looked in the direction he indicated, surprised that his arm slanted towards the ground, rather than into the trees where I'd been looking.

_What is he- oh_…that.

At the base of one of the surrounding trees sat my cot. and sitting proudly for all the world to see was my blanket. Shining in all its patchwork, multicolored glory.

I looked over at Gaara, who was watching me with a question burning across his normally expressionless face. "What can I say, I really like all the colors," I smiled, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck, "besides it keeps me warm at night."

He shook his head and started to walk away, mumbling under his breath.

"What was that?" annoyance colored my tone in defense for my favorite blanket.

Gaara stopped and looked at me over his shoulder, "You're…_strange._"

I couldn't help but nearly double over in fit of laughter. "Are you _kidding _me? Have you _never _looked in a mirror?" I gasped, holding onto my knees for support with my good hand. "Seriously, _I'm _the strange one? Talk about _irony!"_

He turned to face me with a furious scowl on his face, and his hands balled tightly into fists at his sides.

Wiping tears from my cheeks I straightened. Rolling my eyes I snorted, "Oh knock it off, you're not scary,"

Tensing his shoulders Gaara gave me a patronizing look. "I am a shinobi of the Sand," he growled.

"I know that, and don't get me wrong," I smirked and waved my hands in front of myself for emphasis, "I know that you're not someone to be taken lightly. Hell would freeze over and start giving out free snow cones before I thought otherwise," smiling at his guarded look I continued, "I'm just saying that I know you're not going to hurt me just because I laughed at you. So, to me, you're not _that_ scary. Ergo, you can stop with all the '_I shall eat your soul'_ looks."

Gaara stared at me for a moment in silence, his pale cyan eyes sweeping me up and down with nerve-wracking slowness. Seeming to almost study my every feature with a critical eye that had me shifting my weight. I was just about to demand that he stop staring when he suddenly broke the elongated silence.

"You, are weird." And with that he was gone, disappearing before my eyes like he always did. Leaving me to fume over his parting words. _Damn him and his stupid ninja powers…_

**AN: If you saw any mistakes in this chapter, please let me know.**


	16. Chapter 16: What is with this girl?

**AN: This chapter is in Gaara's pov. I hope you all enjoy, and please inform me of any mistakes you may find. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-6-2013**

**Disclaimer: I am not, and never shall be in direct or indirect ownership of Naruto, but unfortunately for Kida I do own her. ;)**

"_I've never seen two people in my life more determined to ignore the obvious. You'd better stop thinking and let your heart start doing the talking. You'd have to be stone deaf, dumb, and blind not to see what's going on with us."_

_-Trisha Yearwood (Powerful thing)_

**Chapter 16: What is with this girl?**

I stood behind Kida in silence; watching her swish a metal plate in the river with one hand. My gaze traveled down her narrow shoulders and settled on her exposed lower back. Several inches of creamy white skin peaked through the breach of her clothes. The girl's shirt had bunched up high, and her loose pants hung low on her shapeless hips. Small dimples on Kida's lower back, just below her waist, caught my eye. I glared at the two indention's that had captivated my attention, and all but forced me to stare at them.

She stood slowly, and her blouse slide back into place, hiding her skin from my view. I felt my eyes narrow in response to the irritation the simple action caused. _This girl is gaining far too much influence over me…_

Kida's turned around and her green eyes flew wide open. A startled squeak escaped her lips before she fell over backwards into the streambed; splashing loudly. Leaping out wildly with a strangled gasp she nearly crashed into me. I stopped her with one hand, and immediately became distracted by the soft skin over her collarbone. The heel of my palm sunk into the top of her breast, and my breath momentarily caught in my throat.

Wide eyes stared fearlessly into my own, and I felt a shiver work its way down my spine as I stared at her open expression. Brief flashes of white teeth could be seen past her bottom lip as it trembled. Now that I'd noticed her lips I couldn't tear my gaze away. They were the warm, sweet, color of watermelons; a rare treat in the harsh desert. I secretly wondered if they tasted like them…

"G-Gaara? What-" Her voice pulled me from my taboo thoughts of the civilian girl.

"You sent word you needed to see me? Well then what is it, and make it quick," I cut her off mid-sentence.

Suddenly too aware of her body-heat under my hand I brought the appendage back to my side. I was unnerved to discover that I could still feel her soft skin beneath my fingers; though I no longer touched her.

"Huh…?" She gaped, and I had to fight the sudden urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

"You told my teammates you wished to speak with me." I gritted my teeth at the memory of the loaded looks my siblings had aimed at me after delivering Kida's message. Their eyes seemed to scream questions at me with each cautiously stolen glance. Questions that even I myself didn't have answers for…

Kida looked me over slowly, her eyes dancing with some unknown emotion that I had no name for. Probably because no one had ever looked at _me _the way she does. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she bent to retrieve her dropped dishware.

"You came…because I wanted you to?" Kida asked while clumsily re-stacking her mug and fork back onto the plate with one hand.

I muttered an affirmative as I watched the dappled sunlight dance through the canopy; casting steaks of gold through Kida's blood-colored hair. A tint that I found oddly pleasing against her creamy skin.

"Well yeah, I guess I did ask you to come," Kida muttered as she stood up and tried to tug her drenched pants back into place. I watched her struggle to pull them up while still holding onto her dishes. Silently enjoying the view the sagging trousers gave me of her exposed navel and hips. Too bad the sight was hindered by the obnoxious clanging of her mug rolling around on the metal plate.

Sighing I took the dish from her; forcing myself to look away least she see the disappointment on my face.

"Thanks!" she patted my arm and I could feel that something was wrong. Her touch wasn't soft and small like I remembered her hands, but rather rough and bulky. My eyes snapped to her hand as she took her plate back. Anger rose in my gut at the sight of her palm wrapped in bandages. A sudden fury at whoever did this to Kida lashed inside me. Followed by an almost overwhelming desire to kill the one who caused her need for medical attention.

In my rage I almost hadn't noticed how badly the cloth was wrapped. When I did notice I had to bite the inside of my cheek as my anger shriveled up and died on the spot. "What did you do?" I almost let myself groan at the exasperation that threatened to choke me.

Kida glanced down at her injured hand; immediately knowing what I was talking about. "Why do you just assume that I did it?" she sniffed haughtily with suspicious eyes.

"Because it looks like you bandaged it yourself." I watched her examine the makeshift gauze that seemed to be on the verge of falling off her thin wrist. It was only held in place by a careless knot that would make even the most inexperienced medic-nin cringe.

"Oh yeah…_that," _Kida muttered, faintly blushing. "Would you believe me if I told you I got it fighting a man-eating tiger?" she said with a cheeky grin.

"No." The sudden urge to roll my eyes was almost overwhelming. _There is surely something drastically wrong with this girl if she honestly expected anyone to believe such an idiotic story._

"How about fighting crime?"

…_Maybe she does need a medic. Perhaps she's hit her head and-_

"Okay, how about this, I got it pulling a little old lady from a fire?" She puffed her chest out in a ridiculous manner. Causing herself to look like some sort of deranged bird.

_Or maybe she really is just that stupid…_I could feel the beginning of a migraine coming on.

"_Fine, _if you must know," she sighed, deflated. "I burnt my hand at work by grabbing a pan that was hot without wearing a glove. Are you satisfied now?"

_And so the truth comes out of the strange little bird, but is soon thereafter followed by more senseless riddles. _"Why, would I be satisfied?" My brows scrunched at her endlessly odd statements.

"Gaara, I was just being sarcastic, oh you know what, never mind." She walked past me and dumped her dishes haphazardly into a bag before searching through another.

I watched closely as she pulled a pair of blue jeans from the sack on the ground. Dropping the garment to her feet she reached down and began unzipping her wet pants. She shimmyed them partially down her hips and once again I could see the faint dimples on her lower back. Instantly I was as captivated as I'd been the first time. I was filled with a sudden desire to see more, and felt a pang of impatience when Kida suddenly froze in her tracks.

Looking over her shoulder at me, Kida's face filled with indignation and flushed a bright, cherry-red. With her face now a similar shade to her unkempt tangle of crimson hair, she looked rather like a tomato. "Um G-Gaara," she stuttered, and turned an even deeper scarlet that not only matched the hue of her hair, but surpassed it. "Would you mind turning around for a second?"

I stood with clenched teeth, angrier with myself for the waves of self-pity I felt, than at the girl who had caused it. One look into her wide, embarrassed, eyes was all it took to have me complying with her request; gnashing my teeth all the while.

The sound of heavy steps, and tall grass being pushed aside caught my attention. Lethargically, I turned my head to the source. I was unsurprised to find that it was Kida's beast of burden ambling its way over. It stopped mere feet in front of me. Stretching its long, gangly, neck out it breathed heavily in my face. The animals liquid brown eyes went white around the edges; protruding from its big, ugly head.

I could hear Kida grunt a few times under her breath as she fought with her wet clothes, followed by a quiet thump. The black creature gave a gusty breath that blew my short hair around wildly. I chose to ignore the faint laugh came from Kida's direction. The smelly animal turned and ambled back the way it had came.

"Does it normally do that?" I asked, looking at Kida over my shoulder.

"Only when he meets someone new," she flashed her teeth in a quick smile, "and _his _name is, Shadow. I'm surprised its taken him this long to check you out."

"Hn," I muttered turning my body back to face her completely. "Give me your hand," I said reaching out to her.

Kida blinked looking confused, "Why?" she held her wrapped digits to her chest, "What do you want my hand for?"

_She had better not make me regret this…_

"I'm going to replace your bandage before you injure yourself further."

Kida's eyes darted down to the clean bandage I held before looking back at my face with an almost unsettling intensity in her gaze.

Seeming to deem it safe, she closed the gap between us. Stepping near enough that I could faintly feel her body-heat brush against me. With her standing this close I was able to see the little flecks of black in her olive irises, and could all but count her auburn lashes. I wanted to trace the scar on her left brow, to feel the hairless indent with my fingertips.

Those copper brows were knitted together as Kida chewed on her bottom lip. Slowly she reached up and gave me her injured hand. Draping my extra support-wrap over her forearm I reached into my side pocket to grab a kunai. I felt Kida freeze at the sight of it and had to choke back a bitter laugh. If only she knew what I was capable of doing to her _without _the use of this primitive knife…

I held her steady, ignoring her almost humorous effort to free herself. It was almost sad how weak she was in comparison. Although she yanked with enough strength to nearly knock herself over; Kida couldn't budge in the slightest. I cut the makeshift bandage in one swipe, choosing to ignore the animalistic glee I felt at my overwhelming dominance.

The girl immediately ceased her futile fight against me. Instead she watched with wide eyes as the discarded bit of rubbish fell unhindered to our feet. Kida blinked owlishly before looking back at me with searching eyes, and a frown plucking at her shapeless lips.

I dropped my Kunai back in its holster, so I was free to examine the damage she'd done to herself, and frowned at what I found. On the inside of her palm was a raised, red, welt that extended from one side to another. Going from a blistered red and fading into a faint pink at the edges.

A thick sheen of sharp smelling ointment covered the injury in a dense goop. I was pleased to see that she had at least _tried _to tend to the damn thing. Tracing the burn with one finger I followed the line slowly, feeling the unusual heat that radiated off the welt.

The edge of my nail caught on a bit of puckered skin; earning a hiss from Kida followed by a brief spasm in her fingertips. I froze my examination to look back at her, and to my surprise I saw added moisture filling her eyes. A fist of what could have been guilt closed around my throat. _Did I cause that? Was I the reason for her tears?_ "That hurt you?" I questioned dreading the answer that I already knew would come, but felt the need to ask anyway.

"Yeah, kind of," she lowered her gaze from mine, and I was thankful, else she may have seen the remorse I so strongly felt, "just a little bit."

I gazed down at her hand for a moment, forcing away the alien feelings this girl brought out of me. Instead focusing on the task I had set out to do. It took only moments into the rhythm of wrapping her palm before my thoughts began to wonder. I became distracted by how small her hand was in mine. By the faint calluses at the base of her fingers, and by contrast how soft the unbroken skin across the back of her hand was. Her short nails may have had a bit of dirt under them, but they were still well shaped. Although her cuticles did need some work.

The bones in the back of Kida's hand felt alarmingly fragile, and so I redoubled my efforts to keep my touch light. It was with a slow twinge of regret that I tied off the little slip of cloth and relinquished my hold on her hand. "Done," I breathed softly.

Kida's oversized, viridian, eyes blinked rapidly in response before looking over her injury. She started talking again, but this time I was too distracted by the way her lips moved to listen what she was saying. Drawn in as I was by the details of her face made it hard to focus on anything else. I had never noticed before that her upper lip was a little too full to match the lower, or that they were almost too wide to properly fit her thin face. Though it was her high cheek bones and large, impossibly, green eyes that drew the most immediate attention upon first glance…

"Why did you call me here?" I quickly interrupted, feeling the need to distance myself from this little civilian; who was unknowingly drawing far too much attention to herself.

"Huh?" Kida stammered, looking back up to my with her brows knotted together. She chewed with agonizing slowness on that full bottom lip. I was only too thankful when she ceased her tortuous gnawing to speak again. "Well…I just kind of…" She paused to take a deep breath and looked away; freeing me from the trance I'd all too willingly allowed myself to fall into. I prepared to leave and get as far away from the little tempest as I could. I needed to get out of here before I got in any deeper than I already was, but her next words froze me where I stood. "I just wanted to know why you stopped coming in the mornings; I guess I got used to your company."

Though she stared at the ground I could still see the faint dusting of pink across her cheeks. Once again making her face look too colorful and bright. Kida looked up past her lashes to me, waiting for some sort of response. What she wanted me to say I had no clue. I racked my brain; trying to find some inking of truth in her words.

Staring into her face, I searched for some reason to her apparent madness, but found none. "You…" I paused, unsure how to proceed, worried that I had somehow taken her statement the wrong way. I was sure that her face would twist into a sneer of disgust; wrinkling her nose and narrowing her eyes. All to be followed by a spat order to leave. Yes, I was sure that would be her answer. It was the only sane, _normal, _response I could expect, yet I hoped for it at the same time.

I almost desired that familiar retort. It was something I knew how to handle, something I could predict, and after I could go back to the way things were. Simple, and direct; hunt and kill. A predator doesn't talk to its prey. He doesn't dine with it. Doesn't take the time from its day to "save the distressed maiden" and he certainly does _not _stare at her body with _anything _more than _bloodlust. _After this next, final, sentence I'd be freed from whatever sick _delusion _kept bringing me back here. I could almost taste the weight of my words on my tongue, "want me here?" _There, I'd said it; now let the little girl show her true colors._

"Maybe, a little bit." Another overly bright blush bloomed across her face; quickly hidden behind a thick wave of hair as she looked down."I kind of liked cooking for more than one person, and it was…nice, having someone to-"

Buzzing noises filled my ears, drowning out the sound of her voice. A light sweat coated my brow, and I begun to feel dizzy. My vision grayed until I felt as though I was looking through a tunnel. Breathing through my teeth I looked around for something to focus on. A solid object to anchor my senses to. Something to pull me from the shock of this faint, but very real, acceptance. It didn't take long for my roaming eyes to catch sight of an almost violent splash of color, draped over the roots of an ancient tree.

I concentrated on that one bright spot at the end of my dimming vision. Slowly, it came into sharper focus the longer I stared at it. Pulling myself away from the panic that threatened to consume me. _From the danger of hoping…_

"Gaara…what is it?" Kida's voice cleared away the last of the clouds from my vision; calling me back from the edge, like a sirens song in a stormy sea. And I, like any other stupidly trusting sailor, came to her beckoning call.

"Hn," I muttered, trying to resist the urge to look back at her. Hoping against all hope that if I ignored her that she would leave me in peace. If only long enough for me to collect myself and leave before this got anymore out of hand.

"What's that Lassie, Timmy fell into a well?" Sarcasm laced her voice.

_Of course she wouldn't, no…_couldn't, _leave me alone. _She wouldn't have been Kida if she had.

I turned my face to openly glare at her. Praying to whatever deity that seemed to get a kick out of destroying my life would also give her the common sense to shut the hell up. Like any other sane, _rational_, being would do. Of course, I didn't get my wish, but I did receive an answering glare; though not as impressive as my own.

I turned away, cursing myself for letting this tiny slip of a girl feel secure enough to look at me like that without fear of consequence. I looked back towards the stain of color laying limply on the ground. Honestly curious as to what the thing was now that I could see clearly again.

"What?"

I glanced back to the girl. Did she honestly not see that thing? The blind could probably _feel _that much obscenely bright color littering the dirt floor. Turning away from Kida's probing gaze, I pointed at the retina searing splatter. I watched her face closely as understanding filled her vivid eyes, and waited patiently for her to explain why she would have such a hideous thing in her camp.

She looked back at me with a soft pink dusting her cheeks yet again."What can I say, I really like all the colors," she smiled cheekily while rubbing the back of her neck with her eyes pinched closed. The freckles that covered her cheeks seemed to pull closer together as she scrunched her face. "Besides it keeps me warm at night."

I shook my head and walked away muttering silently under my breath, "Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be _this_ girl that decided she wants to be my _friend?"_

"What was that?" Kida's irritated voice called after me; farther proving my point.

I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling before I looked back at her over my shoulder. "You're…_strange._"

Kida suddenly doubled over, loud snorts of laughter all but choking her as she fought to stay up right.

_If she is trying to prove me wrong then she sure has a roundabout way of doing it…_

"Are you _kidding _me? Have you _never _looked in a mirror?" She choked on another fit of uncontrolled giggles as she gripped her knees."Seriously_, I'm _the strange one, talk about _irony!"_

I turned back around with my hands curled into fists at my side. Was this the rejection I'd been waiting for earlier? Was Kida, this girl, now going to laugh at me for letting my guard down? For letting her get under my skin? The skin of Suna's monster. Was this her devious plan all along? I cursed myself for falling into the little witch's trap.

"Oh knock it off, you're not scary." The bitch mocked me with a roll of her lying eyes as she straightened. _I'll have to remember to gouge those green orbs out later…_

"I am a shinobi of the Sand," I reminded her as I pulled myself from my slouch; awakening the sand inside my gourd. It twisted readily at my angry command, excited for the promise of bloodshed that would surely follow my summons. _Goodbye, Kida...I hope your game was worth it to you._

"I know that, and don't get me wrong," she smiled again waving her hands playfully in front of her face, "I know that you're not someone to be taken lightly. Hell would freeze over and start handing out free snow cones before I thought otherwise. I'm just saying that I know you're not going to hurt me just because I laughed at you. So, to me, you're not _that_ scary. Ergo, you can stop with all the _'I shall eat your soul'_ looks."

Dumbfounded, I was caught staring at her idiotic smile, ignoring the sands restless pleas coming from my gourd. _Was I wrong? Had I somehow misread this strange girl yet again? Could she, perhaps, _not_ have some sort of hidden agenda? Is there truly nothing more to her than what meets the eye? _

The knowledge that she hadn't meant anything malicious by her callous remark filled me with a warm sense of relief. She wasn't cruel; just stupid.

I couldn't help but let myself freely examine Kida. Not caring in the slightest if she knew what I was doing. Kida was more than just small as I had easily classified her before. In fact she was down right _short. _I doubt she measured any taller than five foot two inches.

_Maybe that's why she seemed so out of tune? Was there just more fire than there was girl to hold it all?_

Looking closely I couldn't help but let my eyes linger on her breast. They weren't large by any stretch of the imagination, but they fit her narrow chest cavity giving her a nice rounded look. I trailed farther down to her slim waist; Kida didn't have much hip to her but that was alright with me. I never liked the big rumps that most girls possessed. They always seemed to be in constant danger of knocking things over as their large hips swung by.

In fact, Temari, had done just that on several occasions, and apparently Kankuro shared my thoughts on the obtrusive things. Seeing as he informed Temari that she should lose some weight if she wished to protect the family furnishings; after knocking over a lamp at home.

Afterward she had beaten him so soundly that even father had decided to step in. Stopping her from further damaging the self-proclaimed puppet master. Back then I didn't pay very close attention, but now that I really thought about it, I liked slim hipped girls. Or at least Kida's thin hips anyway.

I came from my silent musings as my eyes traveled farther down her narrow body. Pausing momentarily on her nervously shifting feet; that were sending small puffs of dust into the air. Following her little body back up to her confused, and irritated, face. Her high forehead was framed by crimson hair, still parted to one side as it was back when we were children..._ When we were still friends._

Blinking, I cleared my head. Kida wasn't a conventional beauty; with her strange colored and roughly cut hair, freckles, shapeless lips, almost buggy eyes, and scarred brow, but there was something about her that I just couldn't ignore.

"You, are weird," I muttered, disappearing into the trees before she had a chance to see the ghost of a smile that twitched at the corners of my mouth. I watched her search for me as she always did, looking from side to side without ever once glancing _up_.

She sighed with slumped shoulders and a shaking head, "Is that boy _trying _to drive me nuts? Seriously, what am I supposed to think of all this?"

Not long after we became reacquainted I'd discovered Kida often grumbled to herself like this. It was oddly comical to listen in on the girl's odd, one-sided, conversations. I wondered idly if she would be offended to learn that I eavesdropped on her from time to time.

"One moment I'm just sitting here minding my own business. When out of no where he just poofs in, insults me and my blanket, and poofs right back out! Where the _hell_ did he get the nerve-" She cut herself off with a sigh, and stared rummaging through her things. "Cool it, girl. Just finish cleaning up so you can get ready for work. At least there you'll be paid to put up with boys who insult you and have the vocabulary of a damn tree frog-"

_A tree frog? Where did she come up with these things? _I discarded the thought when I realized she was still speaking.

"Maybe I ought to ask why all ninja boys like to say "hn" all the time. Could it be that's where they get their ninja powers from? Maybe they sit around, turning real words into jutsu to get stronger, so by the end of the day they don't have any normal words left!" Kida paused before looking around suspiciously. "I should keep these findings to myself in-case it's another ninja secret; like why their hidden villages aren't really all that hidden. I bet any civilians who discover their secrets go missing."

With that final ludicrous statement, she nodded her head in that annoying manner of hers. Then, with sudden purpose to her step, she marched back to the village. No doubt on her way to the ramen shop. I followed her back to the Leaf's gates; slowly jumping through the trees so as not to let her out of my sight. Once there I waited for her to enter the village and all but disappear into the crowds. Becoming nothing more than a bobbing splash of red among the sea of brunettes and blonds.

I closed my eyes after she finally disappeared around the corner; knowing she'd be safe for now.

Though feeling disappointed now that the rest of my day would consist of nothing more but quiet hours, and anxious glances from my siblings. Begrudgingly I started the short trip back to the hotel. I would need some time, and space, to sort out these events and the puzzle that was Kida. The implications of that thought was already giving me a headache...

**AN: Thanks for reading guys I hope you enjoyed it! And if you did feel free to hit that nice and shiny review button!**


	17. Chapter 17: Period

**AN: I can't put into words how much easier it is to correct these latter chapters. It makes the correction process so much quicker. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-8-2013**

**Disclaimer: I do **_**not**_** own Naruto, or any of it characters, terms, ect.**

"_Dog tired; yeah I'm wired up tighter than a string about to break; tail dragging; a little ragged; hanging by a thread that's starting to fray. Just in case there might be little ears around I won't say it I'll just spell it out. I feel like pound sign, question mark, star, exclamation point, don't give a blank, and a whole lot of other choice words I can't say."_

_-Kevin Fowler, Pound Sign (#?*!)_

**Chapter 17: Period**

_Noise, that's all people were good for. No, that wasn't the right word for it. Maybe what I meant was the people were, noisy, but that most certainly was _not _a _good _thing. Though that's not all they are; people are also dirty, rude…_things. _They were constantly coming to the shop demanding food for their greedy gullets, and leaving nothing but a mess in their place; expecting _me_ to clean up their filth for them. _I had half a mind to leave right now, but not before throwing something at the boy sitting at the bar, or perhaps at the petite blond-haired girl sitting next to him. _Yes, defiantly her. _The way she kept primping her platinum locks was making me sick.

I watched in disgust as she raised a perfectly manicured hand to her hair again; brushing the glistening yellow strands from her intensely blue eyes. It wasn't natural for someone to look that pretty; she was just too _perfect. _She raised another bite off noodles daintily to her flawless lips. Opening her little mouth just wide enough to flash a set of straight ivory teeth. _Well, almost ivory. _I probably _should_ tell her that her lipstick had smudged onto her teeth…too bad for her I didn't _feel _like it.

_Oh yes…_she_ would be the one to have something thrown at her before I left. Maybe I'd be lucky enough to break her stupid nose while I was at it._

"Hey Ino, have you seen Chouji around today? I thought we agreed to meet up here for lunch," the boy sitting next to this girl, this _"Ino" _said, effectively breaking my concentration.

"Yeah, but he said that him and his dad had plans today. Must be some kind of training or something," Ino's voice had a superior ring to it that instantly had my spine stiffening in response._ Of course the skank sounds superior…__what a big surprise_. Ino reached up to fluff her hair again; this time tucking the loose strands behind her ear.

_Oh! She is wearing really pretty earrings! Maybe I could ask her where she got them? I would get my ears pierced if I got to wear something like that! They are so delicate looking…and chances are good that they would look terrible on me. _I fought back a defeated sigh. _Yeah, they would probably look bad on me anyway. Then again what didn't? Nothing would make me look pretty, so why bother? Besides who the hell did I think I was going to impress? __I shouldn't have come to work today. I should have just stayed under the blankets all day and waited for the sun to go down; that way no one could see how plain I looked when I came out of hiding._

That's what I should have done…I should have just crawled under a rock and stayed there. No one would care that I was missing, or notice for that matter. _That's what I should do now; just leave everything as is and walk back into the woods. Find a nice hole in the ground, and curl up in it. What was I waiting to get off work for-_

"How troublesome," a voice grumbled as calloused fingers waved in front of my face.

"Huh?" I blinked in response.

"I've been trying to pay you for the ramen, but you just kept staring off into space," the boy said, placing his money on the counter before me.

I watched him walk away before I picked up the crumpled bills and placed them in the register. Ino pushed her bowl away before wordlessly dropping her money on the counter and following after her companion. I shrugged before picking up her bowl and cash and placing them both where they belonged. Over the splash of the dirty dish hitting the soapy water in the sink I heard a scruff of sandals behind me. Turning to look over my shoulder I saw a head of petal pink hair. "Hi, Sakura, how're you doing?"

"Fine I guess. Could I get a bowl of chicken ramen please?" Sakura asked, propping her elbows up on the counter.

"Sure thing." I was just glad she seemed to be in a better mood than she was the last time I saw her…I wasn't exactly up to dealing with any drama at the moment. I went to the back and scooped out a bowl of chicken ramen that was simmering on the stove-top. The intricate spices hit my face as soon as I lifted the heavy metal lid.

Rather than appreciating the smell as I usually did, it hit my gut like a punch. It twisted my insides into tight knots and cast a sheen of sweat across my skin. I held my breath against the normally delicious smell; fighting back waves of nausea. I scooped the ladle as quickly as I could; not caring if I sloshed any on the floor in my haste. Once the bowl was full I dropped the lid with a clang.

I breathed raggedly through my teeth as the dim graying of my vision faded and my knees held steady once more. _I hate this…as if it isn't bad enough that my period gives me mood swings from hell, it also has to mess with my love for food._ _Where is the justice in that? _I walked on legs that felt like they had become the exact consistency of rubber. They wobbled uncertainly beneath me as I walked back to Sakura, and by extension back into the clean air outside. "Here ya' go," I said faintly, fighting against the weakness in my knees and the sour lump in my throat.

Sakura looked up at me, startled, after I all but collapsed into the wooden chair behind the counter; resting my head on the table top.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked, looking concerned and pausing over her bowl.

"Yeah, it's just that time of the month for me," I didn't bother trying to sound coherent; nor did I honestly have the energy to try.

"Okay, if you say so…" Sakura muttered.

I quietly listened to the sound of her slurping up her noodles, and of her chopsticks tapping lightly against the side of the bowl. Tap slurp pause, tap slurp pause, tap slurp…pause…the rhythmic sounds began lulling me to sleep. The sun's noonday heat beat overhead; casting its lazy rays straight through to my weary bones. A light breeze dried the drops of sweat from my forehead almost as soon as they appeared…

"Um…I know you're not feeling too good right now, but would you mind if I asked you something?" Sakura's voice yanked me back from the edge of sleep; robbing me of my chance for blissful rest.

It took what little strength I had not to openly growl at the pink haired kunoichi. Propping my chin onto my crossed forearms I looked at her with half hooded eyes. "Sure. What do you want?" I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep my tone pleasant, and not say what I had really meant: _Can't you see I'm trying to take a nap here, you pink haired moron? Shut your damn trap and eat the fucking food so you can leave._

"Well I happened to notice that last time I came here you were staring at Sasuke. I was just wondering why." There was a suspicious glint in her forest green orbs.

I gnawed on the inside of my cheek with closed eyes; trying to smother the urge to insult a customer. _I can't believe this is why she woke me up…of all the idiotic reasons it had to be this. _"Are you asking if I like your teammate, Sakura?" _As if I would ever want anything to do with that jackass…_

"Yes." There was a certain fire to her light green eyes now, and a stiffness in her shoulders.

I heaved an irritated sigh. "I can promise you, in all honesty, that I have no desire to pursue Sasuke in any way, shape, or form," I muttered putting my head back down and closing my heavy lids.

"But then why were you staring?"

I nearly groaned aloud this time. "I wasn't staring. He just reminded me of someone I know, that's all." A pair of icy blue orbs flashed across my minds eye, leaving a light spot on the inside of my eyelids.

"Oh…sorry, I just assumed that you liked him. Most girls our age do," Sakura's voice still sounded uncertain.

I sat up with a grunt; bracing my elbows against the counter. "I could not be _any_ less attracted to your teammate, Sakura. I_ promise._"

Sakura sat back startled. "B-but Sasuke's amazing! He's strong, mysterious, and…and well, beautiful."

I smirked at her assessment of beautiful. She didn't know the meaning of the word if she could so easily apply it to Sasuke. _Black hair, black eyes, and pale skin? No thank you. Why would you want that when you could have reddish-brown hair, and blue eyes; framed in deep black rings. And skin that wasn't just pale, but almost luminous…? _I sat back with a hiss. This heat was doing funny things to my head. _Maybe I really should lie down?_

"Well?" Sakura's tight-lipped voice brought my attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Sasuke…He's not really my type, I guess." I felt my cheeks flush at the thought of just what _my type _might be.

"Oh…err, okay then," Sakura muttered, looking confused by my pained expression.

I put my head back down, and Sakura returned to her food. With my eyes closed once more I tried falling asleep again, but images of a certain Sand ninja kept flashing behind my closed lids. I could picture his face all to clearly now. His intense pearlescent blue eyes, thin lips, sharp cheeks, and rounded chin were all so clear that for a moment I though I was really looking at him.

My eyes snapped open, dispelling the vision. Sitting up with another sigh I stared at the clouds overhead through the gaps between the cloth overhang. I watched the fluffy white puffs, like mountains of unspun cotton, slowly march across the blindingly blue sky. Yesterdays events were still fresh in my mind, and my every waking thought had been steering me back to Gaara ever since. No matter how hard I tried my mind somehow always seemed to drift back to the Sand shinobi.

_Why is that? I have no reason to think about him as often as I do. No reason at all. He is a ninja, and I'm a civilian. We're oil and water. There is no way we could- __No._ _there is no _we _at all! Gaara__ is him, and I am me. We're two separate entity's that could never be together. It's as simple as that, and so help me it is _staying _that simple. No matter how soft and warm his hands are…_

I shook my head, dispelling the traitorous thought. Instead I refocused myself once again on my surroundings. Choosing to ignore the image of Gaara that haunted my thoughts, and silenced the memory of his husky voice. Stubbornly, I stared at the wooden counter top. Following the nicks and grooves on the surface with my eyes I looked for hidden patterns in the jumbled mess.

"Here you go," Sakura's voice startled me from my trance. She had her hand outstretched towards me with a few crisp bills resting on her open palm.

"Thanks," I said sheepishly and took her money. Surprised to that see a tip was included with the payment for her meal. I looked up in time to see the shops flap swing closed behind her.

Getting up with a pained groan, I took Sakura's used bowl and dumped it unceremoniously into the sink. I hissed in disgust at the soapy water that had splashed across my stained apron.

"Ahem," an annoyed grunt called from behind me. I closed my eyes and counted to three before turning around. A young man was now sitting in the seat that Sakura had recently occupied; leaning his elbows on the counter with his fingers laced beneath a broad chin. I instantly recognized him by the purple paint on his face as the sand ninja who had came by the other day.

"Oh, hello again," I said blinking in surprise at his narrowed eyes. We both froze in our positions, him sitting and glaring in my direction over folded fingers, and me standing stiffly not two feet away. Who knows how long we would have stayed like that if my cramping stomach hadn't loudly protested, breaking the silence. The boy finally sat back and blinked; giving my bloated middle an incredulous look before barking a sharp laugh.

I could feel the blush as it bloomed across my face; bringing with it my earlier desire to hide under a rock. "C-can I help you," I stuttered through my embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'd like one large beef ramen," he said in a voice considerably softer than the last time he'd spoken to me. His smirk crinkled the edges of his face paint.

I walked back to the kitchen saying idly over my shoulder, "Sure thing, coming right up." I stepped onto my stool, reaching up and grabbing a large bowl from the high cupboard.

This time I knew to hold my breath when I opened the lid, and quickly ladled the hot soup into the bowl before my air supply ran out. It was difficult to grip anything with how tightly Gaara had bandaged my hand yesterday, but I managed without too much hassle.

Drawing in a deep breath after leaving he kitchen I placed the boy's order onto the counter. Taking back my seat I watched absently from the corner of my eye as he took an experimental bite. Pillowing my head back onto my arms I wondered briefly how this guy knew Gaara.

Gradually, my breathing slowed as my thoughts grew more scattered. Soon all I could think about was how good the light breeze felt; bringing with it the fragrance of crushed pine needles and water. I could hear the soft wind frisking through the tree tops; a light background noise to the gentle birdsong…

The boy's voice suddenly ripped through my drowsy haze like a record being scratched…_These people must hate me. _My eye twitched as I blinked away the tears of exhaustion. "What?" I asked lifting my heavy head and wiping away the thin line of drool from the corner of my mouth.

He looked taken aback by my disheveled appearance, but not enough to leave me alone. "I said, how is it that you know my brother?"

I blinked slowly at the sand ninja; willing a bottomless pit to appear and swallow him up for his digressions. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat under my icy gaze. "What are you talking about?" I asked flatly, wanting to get this redundant conversation over with. Maybe then I would be allowed a few moments of peace.

"Gaara. You had me and my sis pass along a message to him a few days ago, remember?" He looked a little confused, but as his words sank in I sat up; alert for the first time since I'd awoken this morning.

"Wait, are you telling me that you, and that blonde girl, are Gaara's brother and sister?" I had finally connected the dots, or rather had them forcefully thrown at me, depending on one's point of view. Over the years I'd all but forgotten the phantom elder siblings Gaara had once told me about.

"Yeah, I'm-"

"No, don't!" I cut him off, waving my hands in his face frantically. "Let me try to remember your name on my own!" I racked my brain furiously trying to recall the names that seemed determined to elude my grasp. I could all but feel them on the tip of my tongue; weighing heavily there until a faint memory from long ago finally surfaced.

"Your name is Tanukero, and your sister's is Katumari," I said smugly, and sat back with my arms crossed over my chest; a proud grin tugged on my lips. That is until I saw the dumbfounded look stretched across his painted face.

"Uh, no," he said flatly. "It's Kankuro, and my sister's name is Temari."

"Damn it," I muttered.

His thick brows were pulled together as he studied me from across the counter. "So, are you gonna tell me how you know Gaara or not?"

"Hmm, oh yeah." I sat up from my disappointed slouch. "We met a few years back when we were kids, and just recently we ran into each other again. Why do you ask?"

"We'll just call it morbid curiosity…" he trailed off before taking another bite of ramen. He stuffed in such a big mouthful that his cheeks bulged under the purple paint.

"So then, where is Gaara and your sister?" I interrogated him as he swallowed; racing to ask my question before he stuffed his face once more.

Kankuro froze mid bite; noodles dangling limply in front of his open mouth. "They're still at the hotel," he said, dropping his loaded chopsticks back into the bowl. "Gaara…likes to keep to himself, and Temari…she has to keep an eye on the place."

He took another bite; cramming as much food into his mouth as he could, and chewed quickly before swallowing. Taking another bite, cramming as much food into his mouth as he could, he quickly chewed and swallowed. "I need to hurry and get back so she can have her lunch break too," he said tipping the bowl back and slurping the rest of his ramen.

"Oh, okay…" I mumbled as he stood and dropped his money onto the counter and turned to leave. "Hey, wait!" I stood and called after him. "I never thanked the two of you for passing my message along to Gaara for me."

A small smile twitched up the edges of my lips. "How do you know we gave it to him?" Kankuro asked with a smug smirk.

"Because he told me you did." My brow furrowed at the shocked look on Kankuro's face. "What? Why do you look so surprised?"

"He…he went to you? Gaara answered your summons?"

"Yesssss," I said as though I were speaking to a particularly slow child. "That reminds me, could you tell him I said thanks? The bandage he gave me is working way better than the one I was using." I held up my burned hand, taking another look at the fine job he had done on my injury. "This one is helping much more than the last. My hand should be healed up in no time." I flexed my fingers experimentally; feeling only the slightest twinge of discomfort in my palm.

When Kankuro didn't answer I glanced back at him. He was looking at me with a funny expression; his eyes darting between my hand and my face. "Gaara…gave you that bandage?"

"Yep! He wrapped it for me too! Apparently he thought I was too stupid to do it…my…self…Why am I thanking him again?" I snapped as my temper flared back into life. _The little sand rat thought I couldn't do something as simple as tie an effing knot! Just wait till I get my hands on that miserable-_

"I've gotta go," Kankuro mumbled as he ducked under the flap and disappeared from view.

"Huh…?" I felt off-balance being brought down so quickly from my raising temper. I shrugged it off so I could add Kankuro's emptied bowl to the growing pile of dishes soaking in the sink. Lazy, I scooped his discarded money into the register before plopping back down on my seat; a limp, lifeless, version of myself. I closed my eyes for what I hoped would be the last time; desperately trying to ignore the hot fist that seemed to be squeezing down on my inflamed innards.

A soft wind blew my loose hair into my face; both tickling my nose and forming a thin veil between myself and the bright afternoon sunlight. The slight irritant was more than worth the thick cloud that now prevented the harsh sun from penetrating my eyelids.

My cheek weighed heavily on my flat hand. Distantly, I was aware of the spit that would soon drip onto my wrist, but I couldn't bring myself to care. All that mattered was my fading awareness of the pain in my stomach. The counters worn wooden top, polished from years of use, cooled wherever I touched. It helped to bring my spiked temperature down to a more comfortable level.

_If I could only sleep for a little while maybe it would be enough to take the edge off my cramps…just for a few minutes…_The gentle whisper of the shops cloth overhang being pushed aside reached me, but I couldn't find the strength to lift my head again…it was just so _heavy._

"Kida? Hey, Kida are you okay?" Ayame's voice pulled me back, yet again, from the edge of sleep. It took all my will power not to break down and cry on the spot. I looked up at her; not bothering to wipe the drool from my chin nor fix the frizzy mess my hair must surely have become.

"Muhhh…?" I mumbled, unable to get past my thick tongue anymore than I was able to lift the dense fog that blanketed my thoughts.

"Kida, you don't look so good," Ayame said, placing a hand lightly on my forehead. The cool touch of her palm made me more alert. As I came around I noticed that people were standing all around me; giving mixed looks at my compromising position.

Embarrassed, I sat up; taking quick note of all who stood about staring at me. There was a man dressed almost entirely in green, and two young teenagers standing at his sides. The first was a girl with her brown hair held into two neat buns, and the latter was a boy with lilac eyes. The younger male seemed to be looking down his nose at me, while the girl appeared mildly concerned. The older gentlemen had an unreadable expression on his face.

I started to stand, but tripped over my numb feet and had to grab onto the counter for support. "Actually, Ayame, I'm not feeling very good. Do you think it would be okay if I left early?" I rubbed at my face with one hand; using the other to manage my precarious balance.

"Sure, you go right on ahead. My dad should be back soon enough so I was going to have you finish up here pretty quick anyway," she said, stepping around so that I could get through the walkway.

"Thanks," I muttered walking past only to be stopped by an iron-hard hand on my shoulder. I looked up with wide eyes to the man clad in green; it was his hand that was holding me in place.

"Hold on, are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" he asked letting go of my arm.

"Urgh, Sensei! We just got back from the hospital!" The brunette girl complained.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine I just need a little rest is all," I stuttered quickly ducking under the shops flap; almost running into a young couple who were too busy laughing to see me darting out. "Sorry," I apologized as I spun out of their way. Not bothering to wait and make sure they heard me I kept going; walking back to my camp with what little strength I had left.

Later, I'd probably feel bad for leaving Ayame to handle the lunch rush hour on her own, but I'd covered for her almost all day while she'd been running errands. Besides, I knew there was more than enough ramen left in the pots to get her through the day. What mattered now was that I could get back to my camp and put on some more comfortable clothes. After that I would find a nice, hot, pile of stones that have spent the last few hours warming in the sunlight.

With those I could start to bake my cramps away. Maybe I could find a nice, smooth, bolder to lie across while I napped. The thought of sleep pulled my limp legs forward. Giving me the energy I needed for the mile long walk back, and filling my head with sweet promises of rest.

**AN: Well I don't know why I decided to do a chapter with Kida on her period, I guess I thought it would bring out her more vulnerable side. I hope it made her feel more human. Well you've read now it's up to you to review. If there's something I'm doing wrong you guys got to tell me otherwise how can I correct it? If you liked it then great! Tell me what you liked and I might put more of it in the future!**

**By the way, has anyone read "Moments with Kida"? It's the side fic to this story, but it doesn't seem like anyone knows about it.**


	18. Chapter 18: Unsurprising Surprises

**AN: Now this chapter takes place the night of the last chapter, and is in Gaara's pov. Sorry if it's a bit short, enjoy. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-9-2013**

**Disclaimer: I have no ownership of Naruto.**

"_Just when I start to think they're right; that love has died. There you go making my heart beat again. There you go making me feel like a kid, and I know I'm never letting this go."_

_-Sugerland, Stuck like Glue_

**Chapter 18: Unsurprising Surprises**

"What do you mean she left?" It was difficult to keep the angry tremor out of my voice.

"She wasn't feeling well, so I sent her home early," the brunette girl fidgeted nervously. Her shoulders were tense as she edged farther along the aisle, working her way back to the kitchen.

_"How early?" _I was quickly losing what little patience I had. Hours had passed since the time Kida usually got off work, but tonight I hadn't seen her pass through the streets as I normally did. After what happened the last time she'd walked alone from the village late at night, I'd taken it upon myself to supervise her from the rooftops.

She wrung at the ends of her apron. "A-around noon."

Turning my back on the insolent girl I made my way to the gates in short, quick, strides. Fury licked through my veins and clouded the edges of my vision. A hole burned in my gut as I recalled _exactly _what had nearly happened the last time Kida had made her way from The Leaf alone. Or at least, the last time she had left without me watching over her. Pumping chakra into my legs I jumped to the rooftops to cut across the houses; too anxious to walk the leisurely winding roads. Bounding quietly over the wall, I bypassed the gates entirely and made a beeline for Kida's camp; where if I didn't find her safe and sound there would be _hell_ to pay.

Each foot barely touched down before I pushed off again. I moved much more quickly without the weight of my gourd. For once I was thankful that I didn't bring it with me, and with hope, I wouldn't need it tonight. The trees were a dark blur of gray and deepest brown, fading into black as I sped through the dense forest. Only the soft light of the crescent moon kept me from running into the thick, entangled branches. In a matter of minutes I was at her campsite, but there was no fire lit as there usually was, and without its soft glow it was too difficult to see if Kida was here. Dropping down from the tree I stood on I fell silently through the branches before hitting the ground. The only noise I made was a faint whisper of wind and the flutter of cloth.

Making my way to her cot I glowered at her hideously colored blankets. My stomach sank as I came close enough to confirm that she wasn't there. It was difficult to swallow as I leapt back to the trees, ignoring the startled snort from Kida's horse as I jumped straight over him and into the low branches. The wind slapped my face as I followed the trail back to the village, cursing myself for letting her out of my sight. In my moment of mounting anger I almost missed the prone figure draped across a boulder along the path.

I nearly stumbled in my haste to turn around, but didn't care. I had found Kida, and something was clearly wrong. She laid face-down on the large rock, arms spread wide as though she were hugging the granite beneath her. Stepping down from my perch above I landed beside her in an instant. Bending low on my knees I listened intently for the sound of her breathing. A sigh relieved escaped me as I heard her soft snores. Her breaths were deep and restful; in no way did she sound distressed. I blew out an irritated gust of air and fought the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Annoyed now that I knew she was safe.

_Now what do I do? I can't leave her out here alone and defenseless. __Not unless I want to stay and watch over her all night._ The thought made a dull ache start between my eyes. _No._ My only other option was to try to wake her. "Kida," I muttered close to her ear, nearly growling when I received no response. "Kida, wake up," I said more firmly, but still she didn't stir. "Wake up." I reached out to shake her shoulder, and this time she roused just enough to roll onto her side, away from me. This time I did growl. _"Kida," _gripping her small shoulder in my hand I roughly shook it.

"Mmmmhhh!" she squeaked before rolling up into a tighter ball.

I bit the inside of my cheek to control the instinct that told me to hit the girl. Knowing how unlikely it would be beneficial for getting her awake, and _quickly_ back to where she belonged. I stood back up and stared down at the girl, the cause of most of my recent headaches. My current one included. She obviously wasn't going to wake up on her own, and I couldn't just leave her here…that left only one option. I grit my teeth as I swallowed what was left of my pride for the night. Bending down low on my knees, I scooped the sleeping girl up, and was almost surprised by her weight. Although she was far lighter than the gourd I usually carry, she's much heftier than she looks. What _did _very much surprise me was the temperature of her skin. It almost felt like an open flame was pressed into my arms wherever our flesh touched.

Examining her face in the moonlight I saw a faint blush of red across her cheeks and a frown between her brows. _She really is sick. _I adjusted my grip on her as I stood, holding under her knees and around her slim shoulders. Stepping down from the small boulder I held her close to my chest, trying to reduce any jostling. Opting to walk rather than jump through the trees I slowly made my way back, cradling the unconscious girl in my arms.

If someone were to see me now they would be dead before they could spread the word of Suna's monster saving little girls. Though more than likely if anyone were to see me at the moment, they'd be more apt to believe I'd stolen the young woman from her bed, and was making off to hide her body. Now that I thought about it, not only was that story more plausible, but also preferable. _The last thing I need is people thinking I've suddenly grown a heart._

A soft mumble from Kida caught my attention, and I peered down at the sleeping redhead. She mewed softly again before turning her face into my chest, inhaling deeply. I could feel heat rise into my cheeks as she buried her nose deeper into my shawl. It was a miracle that I didn't trip with my attention so completely engrossed in this strange girl. The mere thought was laughable; that I, Sabaku no Gaara, would be carrying anything through the woods at night, let alone some poor sickly civilian. _If the Shukaku were awake right now I'd never hear the end of this._

I forcibly ignored Kida, and the warm damp patch her breath was making on my shirt. Concentrating instead on the smooth, steady, rhythm of my gait, and the dim moonlit shadows that surrounded me, focusing on anything but the sleeping girl I held in my arms. I wasn't used to finding my way around the forest floor, rather than from the treetops. In the end I had to follow the sound of the river, and the faint musky scent of Kida's horse, to locate her camp. After I found the faint trail she had worn between her site, and the main road, it didn't take much time for me to reach the campsite. Once I entered the small clearing I went straight to the pile of blankets that lay in a rumpled heap at the knurled roots of an old tree.

Kicking the thick covers aside, I cursed myself for leaving my gourd at the hotel. It would have been so much easier to have my sand arrange the blankets while I held onto Kida. _I could have had it carry her for that matter. _Bending down carefully, I placed Kida on the ground, pulling the covers over her after my hands were once again free. She muttered something under her breath and I leaned in closer to hear it.

"Ra…"

My brows knit in confusion. _Ra? What could 'Ra' mean?_ I was pulled from my thoughts as she spoke again, this time more clearly.

"Gaa...ra," her breath ended in a soft snore.

I sat back on my heels and stared down at the civilian girl. A peaceful expression alighted her small features. _Did she just say my name in her sleep? Could Kida possibly be dreaming of me, and if so then what is she dreaming about?_ I watched her eyes flutter beneath their lids; seeing things I couldn't even fathom. Her wide lips hung open ever so slightly, beckoning me closer. The planes of her cheeks had gone slack in her slumber, and the dim moonlight had turned her splatter of freckles nearly invisible. Even the scar above her eye was all but hidden in the night's shadows.

_Why do I feel so compelled to touch those cheeks, to feel her skin under my hand, the desire to stroke the curve of her jawbone? Maybe my hand could slip and drift down to her neck, and trace her jugular until I found her pulse. There I could listen to the beat of her heart, feel the crimson life pounding through her veins. __There is truth in blood, it has no secrets, and it never lies. __By __spilling a persons blood __I could hear the whispers of their soul_, if I licked the iron drops from my fingers and greedily sucked it from my cuticles their dying thoughts whispered in my ears. _M__aybe if I tasted this girl __her actions would make sense, p__erhaps then I would understand what she's doing to me..._

I reached out to stroke her face; one touch couldn't hurt anything. My fingertips were less than an inch away, and I could feel the heat radiating off Kida's skin. Her warmth was already seeping into my bones. Just as I was about to close the gap between us, a loud snore ripped through the still air. I jerked my fingers back as Kida flipped over in her sleep.

Standing up abruptly, I gazed down at the girl, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest for a few quiet moments. Turning around, I silently leapt back into the trees. With Kida safe there was no reason for me to linger here now. No reason to prolong my stay, and no reason for me to question why leaving her side had set my chest to aching.

**AN: I hope you guys liked this Gaara chapter. I've wanted to write one like this for a while now, so tell me what you thought of it. If you've enjoyed this story take a look at "Moments with Kida". That fic could seriously use some more readers.**


	19. Chapter 19: Kill him…Kill him dead

**AN: I forgot how much I liked this chapter. :) Hopefully you guys will enjoy it too. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes that I missed. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-9-2013**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but Kida is mine. Though I'd sell her in a heartbeat if the price was right.**

_"If you could read my heart, then you'd know without exception, it was all with the best of intentions."_

_-Travis Tritt, Best of Intentions_

**Chapter 19: Kill him…Kill him dead**

Though my eyelids were gummy and crusted over, I could still clearly see the intrusive light of the mid-morning sun. Rolling over with a groan I rubbed clumsily at my gritty lashes, wiping the sleep away with careless knuckles. I sat up, still scrubbing at my sweaty, grimy, face. Not daring to peel open my eyes. Leaning my forehead against bony knees, I fisted my hands into the shaggy mass that was my greasy hair. Moaning aloud in disgust at the warm, moist, tangles my fingers found around the nap of my neck. Swallowing dryly, I ran my tongue across my teeth, trying to wash out the rancid taste of morning breath. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I felt this _gross._

Even past the horrid taste in my mouth I could still smell my own terrible stink. A mixture of dried sweat and old period blood clogged my nose, making my mouth fill with bile. I lifted my head heavily and opened my dry eyes. I was dimly aware that this was not the place I fell asleep, but in my half-awake state I couldn't exactly place my finger on _why _I shouldn't have awoken here.

Glancing around my camp with confusion I found a low fire burning in its pit. My eyes lazily scanned the area, taking in the little details my mind wasn't at all prepared to accept. Shadow stood a few yards off dozing in the shade with one hind foot cocked and his lower lip hanging limply. My worn saddlebags and saddle sat across from me on the other side of the fire, looking blurry through the waves of heat and smoke. To my left crouched Gaara looking at me with bored eyes, and to my right the sun was glinting off the river in overly bright facets of light. _Wait...what?_

I snapped back around to my right and sure enough, there sat Gaara. I fell back with a croaked scream. Pulling my blanket up until it covered all but my eyes and the top of my mussed head I glared daggers at the aloof Sand ninja. _"What the fuck are you doing!?"_

Gaara blinked slowly, looking at me through half-hooded eyes, "Waiting for you to wake up."

_"Why the hell would you be doing that!?" _furious I tried to glare him into ash.

"I brought you breakfast," he gestured to a brown paper sack that sat between us.

"Huh?" I lowered my blanket to my chin, staring down at the bag that had gone unnoticed until now. "Why…why would you, uh…bring me breakfast?" _Maybe he finally snapped. I always thought they put too much pressure on young kids to be shinobi and here was my proof: Gaara is _officially _off his rocker. Poor guy…_

"You were sick last night, and didn't make it…home," he paused seemingly unsure of what to call my camp. "So I brought you here. When I came back..." Gaara halted again before speaking, "to check on you, you were still asleep. I thought you should rest today, and that soup might make you recover faster…" he trailed off gesturing again to the crisp paper bag, apparently having already used up his word count for the day.

I blinked owlishly for a moment, trying to absorb all this with my groggy mind, and having little success. "Breakfast…brought me back…rest…" I shook my head to clear the muddled thoughts, and combed my fingers roughly over my dirty scalp.

Gaara stood abruptly. "You are to rest. I have already informed your boss that you won't be coming in." He turned around and walked a few steps before stopping, and looking back over his shoulder. "You are not to leave here. Stay…in bed. If you must do anything else then take a bath," his lips pulled down at the corners and his nose wrinkled. "You need one." In a haze of sand he disappeared before I could reply.

Hot anger flashed through me, making my blood boil beneath my skin. Furious indignation caused a blush to paint across my cheeks. _How dare he!? _I didn't know what stung worse: the fact he was trying to force me not to go to work, or that he had blatantly said that I stank. I grounded my teeth together, listening with satisfaction as my molars strained under the pressure. _Who the hell does he think he is to dictate my day to me like that? And who cares if I really do need a bath? That is none of his concern! _I pinched my shirt between two fingers, sniffing at it self-consciously. Pulling back with a grimace, I dropped the cloth. _Maybe I'd better take that bath sooner rather than later…_Grabbing a lock of hair I pulled it around, examining the greasy curl. _Okay, maybe he did have a point. Damn him._

Tossing the sweat soaked strand back over my shoulder I sighed. Curiously I turned my attention back to the neatly folded bag at my side. Snatching it up, I yanked open the folded top, ripping out the single staple that held it closed. Inside was a warm Styrofoam cup with a cloudy plastic lid. Pulling it out I lifted the top. It was filled to the brim with chicken noodle soup. Great chunks of veggies and tender white chicken floated in the succulent yellow broth. Steam rose faintly from its cloudy yellow surface. A pang of hunger twisted my gut as its warm, wholesome, scent assaulted my nose. It made my gummy mouth water and my dry throat slam shut.

_Maybe I should eat this _before_ I take my bath._ Sitting up and reaching into the bag, I pulled out a pair of chopsticks, and scowled at the little wooden utensils. I'd never liked those things. Placing my cup down I stood with a sigh. Balling the paper bag up I tossed both it, and the chopsticks, into my small fire as I walked around it. I went to my bags and pulled out my fork, one of only three that I kept with me. Sitting back down I twirled my utensil around the inside of the cup, tangling a large mass of noodles around it. Opening my mouth wide I took in as much pasta goodness as I could in a single bite. My cheeks bulged comically, and my toes curled in delight. It tasted as wonderful as it had smelled; it was hot, and full of the homey chicken flavor; all buttery and warm.

I ate the soup as quickly as I could, all but choking myself in the process. After I'd finished the solids I drank down the broth in few quick gulps. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand I sighed in contentment. Getting up, I tossed the now empty cup into the fire. I could already feel the soup returning my strength and lending warmth to my limbs, vitalizing my whole body.

Grabbing a towel, my razor, and a bottle of soap, I walked to the river's edge. Stripping my clothes I dropped them into a pile beside my towel. I waded out waist-deep into the water, shivering as it quickly started to sap the heat from my body. My toes were already numb and stiff. Holding my breath I dunked myself under, letting the soft current pull at my tangled hair until my lungs burned for release.

I came up gasping and shivering, and folded my arms across my cold breasts. My teeth chattered against each other, clanking hard and fast. Stopping my jaws shivering with a force of will I placed my razor between my teeth and held it there. Pouring a glob of strawberry shampoo into the palm of my now free hand, and tossing the half-empty bottle back to the shore, I quickly set to lathering my hair.

Working the soap into my scalp with fingers clumsy from the chill, massaging suds into my tangles, I could feel the dirt and sweat loosen. The berry-scent burned my cold nose as I spread the foam from my hair to my face, scrubbing there too with half-frozen fingertips. Quickly spreading the rest of the soap along my body I rubbed vigorously at the dirty streaks. Using what was left of the suds I gave myself a fast shave. Splashing myself with fresh water before throwing my razor next to my shampoo on the bank.

After deeming myself clean at last, I let my knees buckle. Submerging myself underwater and rinsing the last of the soap from my hair and body. Surfacing once more and gasping for air, I waded back to the shore, almost stumbling over my frozen feet. I was only dimly aware of the fine silt that pressed itself between my numb toes as I made my way back to dry land. I stepped slowly from the river's edge, my body feeling heavy after the weightlessness of the river. Snatching my towel up I wrapped it around my shaking shoulders before shivering my way to a patch of sunlit grass.

I collapsed, absorbing warmth from both the dry, prickly, grass below and the direct sunlight above. Cold water dewed my eyelashes together, clouding my vision and forcing my eyes closed. Instead, I focused my water-logged ears on the sound of the birds in the canopy above, and the faint song of a lone cricket somewhere in the distance. Both of which were nearly drowned out by my loudly chattering teeth. I desperately tried to ignore the slow slide of icy droplets rolling down my body, and the dry, itchy grass nipping at my exposed skin. I laid there for several long minutes as my body slowly stopped convulsing and feeling returned to my limbs. I waited it out as patiently as I could; all the while imagining myself somewhere warm.

_Oh I hate being cold. I'll take a blistering hot day over a mildly cool one anytime. I'm not suited for this; it just takes too long to get myself warm again. _I now wished that I hadn't eaten that soup yet…how welcoming its broth would have been after dunking myself in the river. I opened my eyes slowly, and watched idly as a blue-black beetle crawled its way up a stem of crab grass. Working its way to who knew where.

My joints popped in protest as I slowly lifted myself back up, better covering myself while I was at it. I stood slowly, gathering my legs beneath me with care and walked cautiously across the dry pine needles with my bare feet. Once back to my fire I glanced around, double checking to make sure that I was alone. Looking back to my dying flames I opened the folds of my towel. Keeping my arms spread far apart I welcomed in the heat, using the towel to cup it to me like a pair of wings.

I stood like that for a while, keeping my eyes closed as I basked in the fires heavenly glow. Absorbing its blissful warmth until my skin stung from the heat. With a disgruntled sigh I finally let my arms drop, bringing the rough length of cloth back around my damp body. I had already wasted too much time, and I still needed to get dressed, and run a brush through both my teeth and hair before I could head to work.

_Oh yes, I'm going in today. If Gaara thinks that I'm going to start taking _orders _from him then he has another thing coming._

xxxxxxxxxx

"Sorry, Kida, but I've already got Ayame covering your shift today. Anyway, from what I'd heard you weren't feeling well yesterday," Teuchi smiled gently as he finished polishing a green mug before setting it back on the counter. "Besides if I let you work today, I don't think your boyfriend would be very happy with me. He made it _pretty clear _that I wasn't allowed to let you in today," he laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "You sure picked a creepy one there, Kido. _Real _creepy…" his voice trailed off.

Staring blankly, I tried to process what he had said; it didn't take very long. _"My what!?" _I gasped, not wanting to believe what I'd just heard.

"Your boyfriend, you know that guy with the scar on his face; the one from the sand village?" Teuchi looked confused by my incredulous expression.

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing silently like some sort of gasping fish.

"He had blank rings around his eyes-"

"That _idiot _is not my boyfriend!" My face burned and I couldn't bring myself look at him. _What the hell would make anyone think that Gaara was-_

"You sure? The way he came in this morning saying he wasn't allowing you to come-" His voice faded away, drowned out by the sudden thundering in my ears.

_Wasn't allowed? _Wasn't allowed!? _Just who the _hell _does he think he is!? How _dare _he just waltz in and tell _my boss _what I was or wasn't going to do! That son of a bitch! _I closed my eyes and fought back the waves of fury that pulsed through my body, starting from my chest and throbbing its way to my fingertips and toes. Breathe in…_and rip that idiot limb from limb. _Breathe out…_tear his sandy head off. _Breathe in…_make him regret this. _Breathe out…_make him _wish _that he had _never _met me..._

"Uh…Kida, are you okay?" The old man's voice chipped away at the violent impulse that had seized me, tearing me away my thoughts of retribution.

"Yes…I'm fine," I forced through my gritted teeth along with a grim smile. "Just great, I'll see you tomorrow then?" I muttered around my fake grin, slowly backing from under the shops cloth as I did so. Adrenaline pumped in my blood, leaving me feeling over charged and too still just standing here. The need to move, to _break _something with my hands echoed through me, crying out for me to take action. It was a primal call, but one that I _fully _intended to answer.

"Sure thing, Kida, see you then."

As soon as the flap fell back into place, I turned around and began marching down the road. My hands tightly fisted at my sides. My fingers dug into my palm. I felt a strange kind of release from the tiny crescents my nails made as they bit into my flesh. Grumbling dark promises under my breath I stomped my way down the mildly crowded street. I ignored both the startled looks I received from my fellow civilians, and the arched brows of the occasional shinobi. I was on a mission of my own today: to find Sabaku no Gaara.

_I'll teach him never to think he could control me like that ever again! Boyfriend_. _Pfft, as if. That bastard isn't even my friend after this! Not that he technically was even before this… _I shook my head to clear away the traitorous thoughts, and instead focused only on the white-hot rage that consumed me. I let it carry me forward with each stride, pulling me closer to Gaara with every step… wherever he may be. Just knowing that he was _here, _somewhere in the village made the flame that burned within me spark to greater heights, consuming what little rational thought I still possessed.

_Yes, I will find him, and when I do there would be _hell _to pay._

xxxxxxxxxx

Two hours. I had been looking for Gaara for _two damn hours _straight. I'd scoured every training ground and park in this village from top to bottom, and hadn't seen hide or hair of that miserable boy. I'd begun to doubt he was even in the village at all. Fortunately, I had found the next best thing. For sitting just beneath a tall oak tree in one of the smaller training grounds sat, Kantaro, Gaara's elder brother.

I stormed down the grassy incline. Briskly making my way to the black clad ninja, who sat tinkering with some sort of giant, creepy, looking wooden doll. He was blissfully unaware of the verbal lashing he was about to receive in his brother's place. _"Kantaro!"_ I bellowed as loudly as I could. Almost purring in satisfaction when he gouged his thumb with what appeared to be a screwdriver, and jumped to his feet.

He whirled around to face me, a kunai held tightly in one hand. His eyes widened as they took in my furiously approaching form before narrowing with a displeased sneer. "Oh, it's just you," he tucked his knife back into a pocket and crossed his arms as I closed the gap between us.

"You had better believe it's me!" I snapped, ignoring his irritated scowl. "I've got a message for you to deliver to that bastard younger brother of yours."

This seemed to get his attention. "For Gaara? You want me to take another message to _him?" _Kantaro's brows knitted together with a baffled look.

"You bet your ass I do! Now you listen and you listen good. I want you to tell that miserable sand brat that if he ever pulls this shit again, I'll beat him within an inch of his life! Tell him that if he _ever _tells my boss that I'm _not allowed _to work again he'll rue the day he met me! _Rue it! _In fact if he ever tells me what to do again I'll, I'll…_Argh!_ What I'll do is not important! You just be sure to tell that _idiot _that I mean business! I don't _care _whose son he is, or how tough he is, he has _no right_ to go around telling me what to do! That _self righteous brat _can go _fuck _himself with his sand for all I care!" I panted for air as I came to the end of my infuriated tirade; dimly aware that Kantaro's mouth was hanging slightly ajar.

After a moment he finally spluttered, "You want me to tell Gaara _what!?"_

I sighed, closing my eyes as I forced the tremor out of my lowered voice. "I want you to tell that _conceded sand snake _to mind his own damn business, and to keep his stupid, sandy, nose out of mine. _I can take care _of _myself. _You got that, Kantaro, or do you need to write it down?" I could feel the heat start to fade little by little, my anger ebbing, and with it my desire to be here. With my fury now unleashed, I felt spent and ready to leave.

Indignation flashed through his brown eyes as he looked down at me with thinly veiled contempt. "I've already told you my name's, Kankuro, and I don't think you want me passing that message to Gaara, Carrot-top. He doesn't take too well to threats, and you being a civilian ain't gonna stop him."

"Carrot-top?" I echoed offhandedly, but decided to ignore the spark of irritation at the annoying pet name. "I don't care how _well _Gaara takes to what I've said. All I care about is that I get the point across."

"Sure thing, Red, it's your funeral…or sand coffin." He looked at me with a loaded expression, probably hoping I'd take the implications of that statement to heart.

Of course, I had no intention of doing any such thing. "Just pass the message along," I huffed, turning around and making my way back up the grassy incline.

"Whatever you say, kid, but don't say I didn't warn ya."

I ignored his parting call as I trudged my way back up the hill. Feeling strangely cooled, and a little shaken, now that I'd gotten the screaming out of my system. Weariness had settled into my bones and deadened my limbs. Even my chest felt oddly heavy. I dimly wondered if I should have stayed in bed today after all, one day of rest wouldn't have killed me...I gritted my teeth at the thought and forced my strides to lengthen.

Choosing to ignore the quiet voice in my head that said I shouldn't have yelled at, Kantaro…_Kankuro, _I corrected myself. That same voice was looking forward to getting back to my camp, and the makeshift bed that awaited me there. I had to admit that sleep did sound wonderful, even if only just a few stolen hours of it. My steps seemed to quicken almost of their own accord as I made my way to the edges of the training ground.

**AN: Ah, Kida, you're insane. I would have taken that day off without question, you crazy workaholic. I hope this didn't seem too over the top to you guys. It's hard to balance out her crazy temper, but at the same time if I didn't make her explosive then she wouldn't have her greatest fault and would be on a dangerous path to Mary Sue-dom. I hope this showed that Kida hasn't changed, she's still a pistol. ;) By the way did anyone catch the "Carrot-top" bit from 'Moments with Kida'?**

**Now remember, reviews are like bottled motivation to us writers!**


	20. Chapter 20: He's going to kill me…

**AN: I totally forgot about this chapter, so it was actually a pleasure to correct it. This one is actually in Kankuro's pov for a change. This chapter has been rewritten 3-10-2013**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor would I want to. Though I am ashamed to admit that Kida is mine.**

_"To speak of _mere words _is much like speaking of _mere dynamite."

_-C.J. Ducasse_

**Chapter 20: He's going to kill me…**

Scruff tap, _tap_. Scruff tap, _tap_. Scruff tap, _tap_. My sandal boots echoed with alarming clarity in the empty corridor of the stairwell, all but _screaming _my approach. At least I hoped it was. The last thing I wanted was to catch Gaara unprepared…I had taken every precaution possible to keep myself unthreatening. Even going as far as to leave my puppets in the out hotel room, two floors down. Leaving me feeling naked and exposed without their familiar weight on my back.

The surrounding concrete walls were cold, and the air strangely frigid. The lonely, unwelcoming, chill made the hair on my arms rise. I came to a stop as I reached the top of the stairs, and looked on numbly at the steel door before me. It was the entrance to the roof, the one place I'd avoided at all cost during our short stay in the Leaf. The cold metal handle of the door stared mockingly at me, almost as if it were daring me to open it.

My hands clamped tightly into fists at my sides; the skin over my knuckles turned white from the strain. I forced them to uncurl, straightening one finger at a time, and then flexing the stiffness from the joints. As I reached slowly for the door handle I could hear my heart pounding out a ragged beat in my ears. My throat was parched and tight when I tried to swallow back the lump that had risen there. I tried licking my cracking lips, but my tongue was too dry and swollen.

Taking one last deep breath, I grabbed hold of the knob. I gripped it tightly in my sweaty palm before giving it one sharp twist and pulling the door open. Sunlight immediately bathed the dim corridor, temporary blinding me in its brilliance. Squinting my eyes against the glare, I raised one hand to shield my face from the intensity of the setting sun.

It didn't take long for me to adjust to the extreme light, and for the blurred edges of the roof to come into a sharper focus. I stepped out, letting the door close loudly behind me with a scuffled bang. Looking out over Konoha, I stared at all the different blotches of color on the distant rooftops. They were cheerily patched together like some sort of living quilt. This place my not have the durability of Suna but there were defiantly some perks.

My calm reflection was suddenly interrupted as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The tension of the air had become static. I shifted my weight causally, pretending to not be bothered. Glancing over my shoulder nonchalantly, I tried to appear unaffected by my younger brother's presence.

He was sitting on the railing on the far offside, watching me coldly. His blue eyes were as blank and unfeeling as the whitewashed walls of Suna. I looked away from him quickly, turning my gaze back to the village spread out before me. Gaara hated being stared at, and sometimes that was all it took to send him into a fit of rage. Just one prolonged glance could get me into trouble, and right now it was too important that I kept him as calm as possible.

Once again I questioned the sanity of delivering the freckled girls message to Gaara. _If she weren't a civilian I'd kill her for the position she had put me in_. I was keenly aware of the glare Gaara was directing at me. Sweat began to bead on my forehead as my little brother's eyes burned holes in the back of my head. I was afraid he would somehow hear the pounding, almost frantic, tempo of my heart. It really wouldn't surprise me if he could.

"Hey, Gaara," I greeted him offhandedly, pleased that my voice hadn't cracked. I shifted my weight uneasily in the silence that followed. _This isn't a good start, I shouldn't have come up here. Maybe it isn't too late to go back downstairs... _Just when I was about to break, and try to slink back to the door that led to the stairwell, Gaara's raspy voice cut across the humid air.

"What do you want?"

I almost sighed in relief at the bland, emotionless, tone. This _could _mean he was calm, and a calm Gaara usually meant a safer Gaara. It wasn't much to go off of but it was a _start_.

"I've got another message for you." My voice was again steady and didn't betray me.

"From the girl?"

I was surprised that Gaara responded so quickly, and what was that in his voice?

"The one who works at the ramen shop," I said nodding, fighting the temptation to face him.

_"Was she at the stand?" _Gaara's tone was suddenly icy, and I couldn't help but turn around. He was leaning forward now, his eyes narrowed and steely for reasons I couldn't fathom. Not that he _usually_ made much sense. One could never know what was going through that crazed head of his.

"N-no. I was working on Crow at one of the training grounds on the east side when she found me." I cursed myself for stuttering, but whatever I said seemed to calm him down. He sat back again, only now his eyes remained narrowed at my own. After several long seconds, I lowered my gaze from his, biting the inside of my cheek to fight back the shame of submitting like a dog to my younger brother.

"What then, was the message?"

Cold fear twisted in my gut as I looked back to face him. _I'd have to word this carefully if I expected to leave this rooftop in one piece…or at all. _"She, uh…requested that she be left alone."

"Really? That's all she said?" He sounded almost…_amused_. I looked him over suspiciously, not sure what to expect from this foreign mood. Gaara was no longer glaring, and though I could have sworn I'd heard… I'd heard _something _in his normally bland voice, but his face was smooth as always and gave away nothing. The previous glare gone and in its place was once again a stony mask. "What else?"

"Huh?" I felt off-balance dealing with this new, stranger, version of Gaara, and had no real idea if I was in danger or not.

"What else did she say? I know that there's more."

I swallowed back my anxiety and set my shoulders. I knew it wasn't likely he would believe that to be the end of it, but I had hoped he wouldn't care to learn the details. He usually liked things short and to the point. "She, uh…" I trailed off, unsure how to not make this seem anything short of insulting. "She said that if you ever, uh…pull that shit again, that you'll, uh…" I cleared my throat, taking strength to go on from the still serene look on Gaara's face. "Rue the day you met her, and that she'll…beat you within an inch of your life," I swallowed dryly, waiting for the worst.

"What else did she say?" Gaara's head shifted to the side, a gesture that I wasn't used to seeing on him, but at least he wasn't raging…_yet_.

"There was nothing else," Panic leaked into my voice, and Gaara heard it.

His eyes narrowed into a glare again and his nose wrinkled. "Tell me what she said, _exactly _as she said it."

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself. _It didn't matter how well he'd taken the last part, because Gaara was going to kill me for what I was about to say. And that red-haired, freckle faced _menace _was to blame. God I _hate _kids…_

"She…she said, that she meant business, and that she didn't care whose son you are, or how tough you are…That you have no right to tell her what to do, and…" I paused. _This was it, the moment of truth. If I lived or died all came down to these next few words, and how well Gaara takes them. _I looked at my feet, unable to face him for this last part, "That you're a self-righteous brat, and that you could fuck yourself with sand for all she cares."

I stole a glance at Gaara, unable to stand the pregnant silence that choked the air, terrified that what I saw would be my last. I prepared myself for a golden wave of sand to be careening down on me, or a giant blue tipped claw to swipe across my vision, but to my surprise, Gaara wasn't even looking at me. Instead his gaze was fixed on the horizon, watching the sun begin its dip behind the western mountain range. Shock froze me where I stood when I saw the tiny curve at the far corner of Gaara's mouth.

I blinked and in that fragment of a second, that peaceful scene vanished and was replaced by a more expected one: Gaara glaring daggers at me. The only thing that stayed the same was the orange light that washed over him.

"Is that all?" His voice was as cold as ever and oddly enough I took comfort from that.

I nodded stiffly, my jaw too tight to speak.

_"Then go." _Menace filled his voice and proved to be all the warning I needed. Again I nodded and quickly walked back to the staircase door. Its rounded steel handle seemed to be much friendlier than before, almost welcoming. I gladly gripped it tightly in my sweaty hand and pushed the door open. Cool air rushed at my face and chilled my lungs as I stole a deep, cleansing breath. The hall's chill surrounded me like a welcome embrace after the heat from the sun-baked rooftop.

I looked back through the doorway, catching one last glimpse of my younger brother before the door swung shut behind me. He was looking off into the distance, and again I thought I saw a ghost of a smile on his face. But before I could be sure, the heavy door slammed shut with a loud bang that echoed in the empty concrete hall.

_What was that all about? _I chewed on the inside of my cheek before shaking my head and starting the short walk downstairs. Hopefully Temari would be back at the room now and I could tell her what had just happened. She had voiced her opinion that something was up with Gaara a few days ago, and now I agreed with her. The problem was _what?_

**AN: Sorry guys, I know it's short and has very little Gaara in it. Hopefully I'll have some better ideas by the time I punch out the next chapter, but for now what did you think of getting a quick glimpse through Kankuro's eyes?**


	21. Chapter 21: Baby Steps

**AN: A special thanks to **CrimsonAkane **for being the 300th reviewer and to **Crystalvenom19 **for reviewing for every chapter without fail, and for being an awesome writer herself. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-10-2013**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but poor little Kida belongs to me whether she wants to or not.**

_"We come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."_

_- Sam Keen_

**Chapter 21: Baby Steps**

_If I don't look at him then he can't see me…If I don't look at him then he can't see me...If I don't look at him then he can't see me..._

No matter how many times I chanted that sentence in my head, I still couldn't convince myself it was true. I'd now been sitting next to the river for a solid five minutes, pretending I didn't know that Gaara was standing right behind me. His shadow blocked out the sun; I could tell from its shape that his arms were crossed over his chest.

He knew that I was aware he was standing there, _looming_. It was obvious from the ramrod straightness of my back, the stiffness in my shoulders, my hands curled tightly into fists at my sides, and my arms all but plastered against my ribs. I felt like I was going to come apart at the seams. _Why isn't he saying something, anything? _The silence was by far crueler than anything he could have said. His silent stare a torture in itself. I knew that what I'd said yesterday had been uncalled for; I'd nearly beaten my head against a rock after I'd awoken from my fevered dreams and recalled what I'd told Kankuro to say.

A cold bead of sweat rolled down my temple, raising the fine hairs on the back of my neck as it slid down. The sound of Shadow's frustratingly calm chewing filled the otherwise silent clearing, his teeth grinding together with alarming clarity. I could hear the grass screech loudly in protest each time he ripped a fresh mouthful.

_Rip, munch, munch, munch. Rip, munch, munch, munch. Rip, munch, munch, munch. Snap!_

The sound of Shadow biting into a twig almost made me jump out of my skin. I couldn't take this anymore, nothing he was going to say could be as bad as this _waiting_. I stood as I turned to face him, almost pitching forward in my haste.

_"What!? _What are you going to say? What could you _possibly _say that's going to make me feel like anymore of an ass than I already do? I know you tried to do me a favor, and I was a total and complete jerk about it! I get it, all right!? I'm a terrible, _horrible _friend, and what I did was uncalled for!" My chest was heaving by the time I was done, and spots danced across my eyes briefly before my heavy pants cleared my vision.

Gaara stared at me blankly, his face giving nothing away. "Well, what is it? Go on let me have it, I'm a big girl. I can take it," I said bowing my head shamefully, my guilty conscious not allowing me to look directly at him. _Why do I let my temper get me into these things?_

After a few uncomfortably silent moments, I peeked up at him through a curtain of red hair. To my surprise, Gaara didn't look angry, nor was his face entirely blank. Instead, there was an odd glint in his eyes; faint, but definitely there. If I didn't know better I'd say he was laughing at me in his own, Gaara-esc, sort of way.

Straightening my back, I looked him directly in the eye. "Well, are you going to say something?"

His head tilted to the side. "No."

I blinked at him owlishly. "What do you mean, _no_? Aren't you mad at me?"

"No."

My left eye started to twitch. "No, _what?_"

"I'm not angry; I found your message to me…amusing."

It took a moment for me to process that. "Amusing, you thought it was _amusing…_" I shook my head in disbelief. Of all the reactions I'd expected from him, amusement, was _not _one of them. "Sure, why not? That's me, Kida, mistress of entertainment," I grumbled turning back around and plopping ungracefully onto my butt.

In the silence that followed I watched absently as a solitary leaf floated lazily down the river until it disappeared around the next bend. "Aren't you going to sit?" I asked patting the ground next to me, smiling when he complied. We sat there for almost a half-hour, silently enjoying one another's company. Watching quietly as more leaves made their way downstream. "Do you ever wonder what happens to them?"

"Hm," Gaara turned his head towards me, "happens to who?"

"The leaves," I nodded towards the river. "What happens to them? They can't just float down the river forever, so where do they go, and when they get there what do they do?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "I've never thought about it before."

Grinning at him I admitted, "Neither have I."

"Then why ask?"

"Because I thought of it now," I said leaning forward and picking up a stick. "I like thinking about deep and meaningful things like that."

A pinched look crossed his face. "Leaves going downstream aren't meaningful."

"How do you know they're not?" I smirked. "For all we know leaves are the meaning of everything."

His pale eyes grew distant. "Leaves are just leaves. They serve no purpose, and don't affect anything," he stated flatly. "They are worthless objects in an equally worthless world."

I leaned forward, resting my weight on my elbows. "Well aren't you chipper, Gaara. Could you try taking the joy down a notch or two there? You're choking me with all your optimism," I muttered rolling my eyes. "Seriously, Gaara, you don't gotta be such a buzz-kill."

"I'm not killing anything, and what I said was true; leaves are of little concern to the world," he said quietly, watching as yet another leaf made its way downstream. "Their existence doesn't matter."

"Oh yeah," I said laughing, "try telling that to the leaves. I'm pretty sure their existence matters to them." Gaara looked at me with a strange expression. It was silent again for another few moments, this one not as comfortable as the last. "What are you thinking?" I asked, drawing circles in the dirt with a broken branch.

He muttered after a moment, "…That you're a strange girl."

"Hey," I chuckled sitting back up. "Don't mess with me, I've got a stick," I said using it to poke at Gaara's thigh playfully.

Gaara threw me an annoyed look and brushed my hand away halfheartedly. "That's not a stick…it's a twig."

"It's only a twig to nonbelievers!" I proudly announced pointing my stick into the sky.

"No… it's a twig, and a believer of what?" he asked with an irritated air and furled brows.

"A believer of sticks, of course!" I chirped with a smug smile before frowning sadly at him. "It's a shame you're not a believer, I used to think so highly of you too…" I trailed off sadly when a soft snap distracted me from the pitying look I was giving Gaara. I looked down at the stick in my hand, only to find a thin stream of sand had snapped the poor thing in two.

"Now…it's two twigs." I looked over at Gaara in surprise, almost startled to find one corner of his lips lifted in a faint, almost invisible smirk.

"Alright, you win this one," I said returning his smile with a wide one of my own before tossing the broken remains of my stick at him. "Cheater."

Gaara grunted staring absently into the distant trees, "Hn."

"Oh come on. I'm sure you have a wider vocabulary range than 'hn'," I joked.

He was quiet for a moment before he looked at me and gave another faint smirk before saying, "Nh."

I rolled my eyes and fought back a smile. "Oh very mature."

He let out a deep breath before staring once more into space. "Can I ask you something?" he muttered softly.

"Of course, you can ask me anything! Except why the chicken crossed the road, I don't know that one," I said shaking my head sadly.

Gaara sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture I've become familiar with, and he seems to save just for me. "Why are you so eager to get into my head?" he asked with raised brow ridges, choosing to ignore my previous statement.

"Because mine is so _boring_! All I've got going on in here is a pair of old men playing chess, and talking about the weather!" I exclaimed throwing my hands into the air dramatically.

He made a soft, almost choking sound and shook his head; it took me a moment to recognize the noise he made was a chuckle. I turned to look at him with wide eyes. _"Did you just laugh?" _I asked in awe.

He looked at me blandly from the corner of one eye. "No."

"Yes you did! I heard it," I said excitedly, "you laughed. I finally got a laugh out of you!"

Gaara reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose again and an annoyed wrinkle formed between his hairless brows. "Why is it that you're so different from everyone else?" he asked under his breath.

"It's because I have webbed toes," I said with a wise nod, peeking up through my lashes to grin cheekily at his annoyed scowl.

"I'm serious," he said firmly. "Why are you so…so…?"

"Delightful?" I offered helpfully.

"_No_… that's not the word I was looking for," he paused to scowl at me. "Strange. Why are you so strange?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Why are you so cranky?"

He looked away from me pointedly, glaring at the water's edge.

I sighed. "What I'm trying to say is I don't know, I'm me and you're you. It's probably for the best because if you were me it'd really creep me out." I meet his confused look with a smile before standing up and whipping the dirt from my knobby knees. "Now come on, I don't know about you but _I'm _getting hungry."

Walking off I smiled to myself when I heard the scrap of dirt as he stood and followed behind me. I'm not sure if I understand him anymore than he understands me, but that's okay for now. We're learning as we go, and that's what really counts. "So Gaara, what do you want, an omelet, or a breakfast burrito with eggs and hash?"

"…An omelet."

It may take a while, but we were starting to get the hang of whatever it is we've got going with each other, and that's all that matters for now. The rest can wait and come when it may. I turned and watched his graceful, catlike steps as he walked alongside me. "Have you ever tripped?" I asked.

"No." Gaara looked at me like I was crazy. Ironic, coming from him. Shrugging my shoulders I kept walking. "…Do you really have webbed toes?" he asked, not looking at me.

"Nope, do you?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Yeah, I didn't think so. They would be kind of cool though," I grinned at the thought.

"Why?" He turned his head and stared at me like I was a whole new species of weird.

"It would sure make swimming more fun," I said shrugging.

"I guess…"

Bumping my shoulder playfully into his I smiled at him and laughed aloud when he looked away pointedly. Baby steps, we'll just keep taking our baby steps, and maybe, just maybe, with time we'll figure this thing out. _Together_.

**AN: Cookies to those who can spot the metaphor I used with the leaves. Anyway, if there were any mistakes please let me know.**


	22. Chapter 22: Hard Days and Gentle Nights

**AN: I don't think I've ever written so much dialogue before, and let me tell you it's not fun. Before I begin a quick thanks are in order, "Wild One" has achieved 16,410 hits and "Moments with Kida" is almost at 1,000.** **I'm speechless guys, thank you all for reading. Please let me know if you spot any typos. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-11-2013**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own Kida…poor girl.**

_"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy."_

-Henry Kissinger

**Chapter 22: Hard Days and Gentle Nights**

_"Kida!" _a voice screeched from behind me so suddenly that I jumped, and dropped the rag I'd been using to wipe down the back counter.

I turned around in a rage. Already knowing the only person capable of screaming like that could be none other than a certain, idiotic, blonde. "Naruto, you jerk! Are you trying to scare the life out of me?" I snapped leaning over his side of the counter and wagging a finger at him. "I've got half a mind to cut off your ramen for the rest of the week!"

His blue eyes bulged at my threat. "I-I'm sorry!"

I leaned back with a smile. "Prove it."

"Huh?" He blinked. "How am I supposed to prove it?"

"Don't know, you'll just have to think of something." Grinning cheekily, I took a step back. "So what will it be today?"

He grinned and took his usual seat. "One bowel of barbecue pork with extra of everything!"

"All right then, coming right up," I said grinning. Walking into the back kitchen I grabbed a bowl from the lowest shelf, still needing to stand on the tips of my toes to reach it. Once I firmly had it in my grasp, I walked to the simmering pot of premade ramen, and filled it to the brim. Exiting the kitchen again, I placed the steaming bowl in front of Naruto, careful not to slop it onto the freshly cleaned counter top. "It's been awhile since I've seen you around here, where'd you go?" I asked him with wagging eyebrow. "I was starting to get worried."

Naruto grinned around a bulging mouthful of food. "Mmmpf ith ryia ens naing!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Words, Naruto, use them."

Choking down his oversized mouthful he gasped, "Sorry!" Rubbing the back of his spiky head he continued. "I said that I was with Jiraiya-sensei, training! We just got back to the village today since the finals are starting soon."

"Really?" I asked leaning back in the chair I'd sat on. "I completely forgot they were coming up so soon. How did I lose track of time like that?" I gnawed on my bottom lip.

"Yeah, they're coming up at the end of this week, and I'll be fighting against Neji Hyuga!" Naruto bent over his bowl to slurp up another bite.

Playing with a lock of my hair I mumbled, "A Hyuga you say," pausing, I tried to remember where I'd heard that name before. "Sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

Quickly swallowing down another oversized bite, Naruto cleared his throat. "He's a part of a really big ninja family in the leaf, and they've all got these really weird eyes."

This sparked my attention. "What's so weir-" but I was interrupted as the shops curtain was suddenly pulled back and a stranger stepped in, or rather, three strangers.

"Oh, hey Kiba, Hinata, Shino," Naruto greeted the new people who were all filing down into seats, the girl of the group inexplicably going cherry faced. "What are you guys doing here?"

The boy who had entered first snorted. "Grabbing a bite to eat, what's it look like?" He smirked, the red triangles on his cheeks scrunching together and almost masking faint dimples. "Speaking of which, what's a guy gotta do to get some grub around here?" he asked giving me a pointed look.

"A guy's gotta actually tell me what he wants so the non-psychic waiter can get it for him," I responded, bouncing to my feet.

His brown eyes looked me up and down appraisingly. "Well then, waiter, I'll have whatever's on the special."

"There now, wasn't that easy?" I smirked. "So what'll it be for you two?"

"One beef, please," came the muted voice from the guy in shades, and wearing a high collared coat.

Nodding to him I turned to their female companion and waited for her order. She stared studiously at the countertop, a faint pink still dusting her porcelain cheekbones. Nervously she jabbed her pointer fingers together, the tips of her chewed fingernails flushing white under the pressure. I cocked my head to the side, and considered waving a hand in front of the girls face to get her attention.

"Hey, Hinata!" the boy with brown hair called, startling even me.

The girl looked up at him suddenly, lavender eyes wide. "Y-yes, Kiba?"

"You got to give her your order." He nodded in my direction, a stray lock of hair falling into his brown eyes.

She looked down bashfully. "O-oh, sorry. One chicken ramen, please."

Nodding with a grin I chirped, "Coming right up!" before walking back to the kitchen.

"Hold on Kida!" Naruto called after me.

I turned back in confusion and asked, "What? Do you need something?"

Grinning, Naruto held up his now empty bowl. "Yeah, I'd like another serving."

Rolling my eyes I walked back into the kitchen, calling back over my shoulder, "Sure thing, Naruto, coming right up." Reaching onto my tiptoes once again, I gracelessly snagged four more clean bowls, huffing once I pulled out of my stretch. I placed two of the bowls on the counter; having learned my lesson from the last time I'd tried to carry all three back at once. Instead I was satisfied with filling just two at a time. I smiled grimly at Ayame as she gave me a knowing smirk; she hadn't found it at all amusing that I'd nearly dumped Sasuke's ramen on him a few weeks back.

For now I was going to be safe rather than sorry, carrying the two, now filled bowls, out of the kitchen. Wordlessly I placed the first down in front of the boy with red cheeks, Kiba, and the second down in front of the other whose name I'd yet to catch. Turning and walking back to the kitchen I heard Kiba smugly say, "See that Naruto, she brought mine out first."

"She brought Shino his too," Naruto grumbled.

My brows furled, and I fought the temptation to turn around and steal a glance at the two, thinking it wiser to ignore them and fetch the other bowls of ramen. Carefully I filled the deep clay dishes to the top with steaming broth and noodles before turning and once more exiting the hot kitchen. I wanted nothing more than to wipe the sweat from my eyes. Dropping the chicken ramen in front of Hinata I gave the shy girl a smile. She returned it gently before looking back down and snapping her chopsticks apart. Giving Naruto his, I took my seat in front of him once more and tried restarting our previous conversation. "You were-"

"So, I hear your name's Kida," the boy to my left said, interrupting me.

I tilted my head towards him, resting my elbows against the countertop. "That would be me," pausing I arched my eyebrows. "What of it?"

He leaned closer to me with a 'cat ate the canary' grin. "Nothing, just being friendly to a new face," his tone had flirtatious hint to it. "It's not often that I get to talk with the civilians, seeing as I'm always sent away on missions…dangerous ones," Kiba threw a half-hearted glare Naruto's way when he snorted, but the whisker-faced boy was otherwise quiet and continued eating his ramen.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I gave Kiba a twitchy once-over. Fidgeting I bided my time to come up with something to say to him, growing uncomfortable with the situation. I gave him a quick scan, his plain jacketed form holding no interest to me. It wasn't until I'd reached his waist that I noticed a puppy with long, brown, ears sitting on his lap. Scrunching my nose at the little animal I asked coldly, "What's that dog doing in here?" I pointed accusingly at the mutt. The shaggy off-white pup turned to his human companion with what sounded like a questioning whine.

"Akamaru?" Kiba asked looking down, his self-confident air vanishing. "He goes everywhere with me. Why, is there a problem?"

Gazing crisply at the dog rather then the boy I snipped, "This is a restaurant; dogs aren't welcome here. They're unhygienic." _And smelly, noisy, constantly shedding, and or drooling over everything they touch. _I thought darkly to myself.

_"Unhygienic?"_ Kiba sputtered incredulously, and leaned away from me. "How can you say that?"

Turning my glare on him I stated shortly, "Because they're dirty animals." By now Naruto had paused in his vacuum-like slurping of his noodles, and Hinata was frozen over her food. Only the stoic boy with dark, frizzy, hair continued to eat; studiously ignoring us.

"Dogs aren't dirty!" Kiba snapped, sharp teeth bared. "They've even got cleaner mouths than people do!"

Narrowing my eyes further at him I seethed, "I seriously doubt that, and even if that was true you can't bring a dog in here anyway," pausing, I gave the softly growling pup an irritated glance. "If you want to keep eating here, I'm going to need you to leave him tied up outside."

"You want me to tie Akamaru up like a, like a…"

"Dog?" I offered sarcastically.

Kiba stood, holding the pup in his left arm, dark eyes glaring daggers down at me. "We don't have to sit here and take this," he growled, throwing his money on the counter before storming out. I glared at the spot where Kiba had left for a moment before scooping the money he had dropped in the register, and draining his half empty bowl into the sink. Once I finished, I plopped back down by Naruto. I chose to ignore the questioning look Hinata was giving me from behind a thick fringe of her blue-black hair.

"What was that about?"

Turning to Naruto, I tilted my head to the side. "Hmm, what do you mean? I already said that dogs aren't allowed here."

"Yeah, I know but…you seemed like you really _hated _Akamaru," he said sounding almost hurt himself.

Staring off into space for a moment, I contemplated how to answer that. "I don't hate Kiba's dog _personally _I just strongly dislike _all _dogs." Shrugging I looked back into his sapphire eyes and continued, "I was bitten by one when I was a kid bad enough to need stitches, and I've just never liked them since." I held up my right hand, pointing to the twin scars on the offside where a moody old mutt had sunk its teeth into me as a child.

"Ouch, what happened? Why'd you get bitten?"

Grimly I smiled. "It was an old dog, and partially blind. My family was all sitting around the fire, and I was sent to fetch some sticks from the back of one of our caravans. It was too dark to see the grumpy old thing sleeping in the back, so when my arm brushed her, she whipped around and bit me." I shrugged my shoulders again. "I've just never liked them after that."

Naruto's face lightened. "Oh, I guess that makes sense." He stopped to take another quick mouthful of food. "I probably wouldn't like dogs very much either if that happened to me," he paused, "Is that how you got that scar on your face too?"

I reached up and touched the deep concave scar over my left eye. "Oh this? Nah, I got it running through a glass door as a kid. I got another one that runs across most of my thigh at the same time." I patted my right leg for emphasis.

"Why'd you do that?" Naruto asked with eyes wide.

Snorting I answered, "It's not like I did it on purpose! I was only about five at the time. Some of the other kids and I were playing around, while our elders were busy discussing deals with the village headmen they were trading with. I'd never seen a glass door before, and didn't realize what it was until it was already too late and I'd run through the damn thing."

He looked at me dubiously. "How could you have never seen a glass door before?"

Shrugging I said, "We must have just never visited any houses with one until then, but boy did I learn enough about them then!" Laughing I continued. "It was years before I would go with the others of my family when they made a traders trip into town." Drifting off into thought I fondly recalled the early exploring I did as a kid while the others were away. Those days had been the highlight of my childhood; sneaking off on my own while the adults were distracted with keeping our meager herds of assorted goats, cattle, and horses together, while we traded with one of the villages we often frequented.

Of course, on the occasions that someone noticed I was missing was always followed by one of the grandmothers soundly berating me for making them worry. All of their rants fell on deaf ears, of course. I was usually too busy planning my next escapade to really listen to them. The excitement of slipping away unnoticed was almost as great as the adventure itself. The thrill I got from being outside the watchful eyes of the adults was unmatched.

"Sounds like it hurt," Naruto's voice broke into my train of thought.

Laughing I agreed with him. "Oh yeah, it was one of those one time lesson kind of deals."

"I bet." With a bright smile he stooped back over his ramen and continued eating.

Grinning weakly, I nodded in agreement and lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few peaceful minutes.

"Um, e-excuse me…"

Blinking owlishly, I turned to the beetle haired girl, almost surprised to hear her speak of her own volition. "Yeah, Hinata, can I help you?" I asked.

Looking down again, and once more playing with her fingers, she mumbled, "Can I have another bowl, p-please?"

Brightly smiling I stood. "Sure thing, I'll be right back!"

She looked up, confused by my sunny exclamation, but smiled timidly in return nonetheless.

Making yet another trip into the kitchen I grabbed a clean bowl, and filled it to the rim like I'd done to all the rest. _Maybe I should start filling these before they're ordered, then I could just hand the ramen to people as they ask for it. Of course it would be cold be time it got to the customer, and that wouldn't be good. _Coming out of the kitchen I dismissed the thought and stifled a sigh.

"Here you go, Hinata." Grinning at the girl who smiled shyly at me, I turned to her frizzy haired companion, I was about to ask if he was going to want another serving too, when he finished off the last of this one. But the words stuck in my throat when I saw two black insects crawl across his pale cheek and disappear past the edge of his jacket. _What the hell? Did anyone else just see that!?_Wide eyed I glanced back to the girl on his right, questions burning on my tongue. "Wha-" Just as I started to voice my horrified questions Hinata's jerky, bird like, shake of her head caught my eye. Ignoring the shiver that ran down my spine, I instead switched to asking what I'd tried to earlier. "Are you going to want another one too?" The tightness in my throat made it difficult to speak.

He answered without looking up from his food. "No, this will do, thanks."

Nodding to him I took my seat back by Naruto, doing my best to fight back the shivers that crawled down my spine and willing myself not to shudder. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the curtain was pulled back again, and two people entered. One of them I recognized though the other was new to me.

"Hey Naruto, Shino, what are you doing here?" the boy asked, pausing at the entrance and stepping aside so a brown-haired girl behind him could pass.

"Oh, hi, Shikamaru, haven't seen you in a while. How ya doing?" Naruto smiled, looking up from his ramen.

"Fine, you?" said the new comer, taking a seat next to the hyperactive blonde.

"Good I guess, mostly just excited about the finals coming up. What about you, do you think you're ready?"

"This whole thing is such a drag, but I think I'll do fine. What about your teammate, Sasuke? Didn't you head off and train with him these past few weeks?"

Naruto turned away with a scowl. "No, he took off with Kakashi-sensei right after the preliminaries and we haven't heard from either of them since. I just wish I knew what was going-"

"Excuse me," a voice to my left called.

"Hmmm?" I mumbled, distracted by the two boys conversation.

"Can I order now?" the girl asked, brushing a rebellious strand of curly brown hair behind her ear.

"Sure, what can I get you?"

"One bowl of shrimp ramen please," her tone was polite, but clipped.

Nodding I stood. "You about ready for another too, Naruto?" I asked while scrapping up the crumpled bills Shino had left behind, before disappearing while I was distracted. _Damn ninjas and their ninja powers._

"Huh? Oh yeah, I do! Thanks, Kida!" he called to me as I waved over my shoulder, already headed back to the kitchen for what felt like the hundredth time. I quickly rushed through the process of grabbing the necessary clean dishes, filling them up, and scuttling back outside to the people waiting for me to bring them their food.

_What the hell is going on today? _I almost growled aloud when I came out of the kitchen to find the a young, blue eyed man had joined the girl with curly hair, and three other new people now sat in all the other vacated seats. Two of the new customers looked like chunin, the others civilians. _Have all the other restaurants burned down? It's never this busy here! _Biting the inside of my cheek, I set myself up to meet the incoming noonday rush head on, mentally preparing myself for the long haul.

xxxxxxx

With a groan I placed the last stack of freshly washed, and dried dishes on the top shelf. Closing my tired eyes with a sigh I dropped my arms, and kneaded at the knots in my lower back.

"You look beat," Ayame laughed from behind me.

Turning to her with half lidded eyes and a grimace I grumbled, "I feel like I've been _beaten_."

She chuckled at my exaggeration. "It wasn't that bad."

Groaning, I leaned against the wall and fought the urge to slid down it. "Speak for yourself, I'm about to fall asleep right here," I said weakly

"If that's what you want to do go ahead. We're done for the night so what you do now is up to you, but I'm heading home," Ayame's voice was lightly teasing and her warm brown eyes seemed to almost sparkle with amusement.

Pushing off the wall with a tired laugh I met her merry gaze. "Oh no, I'm not staying here another minute! Besides it's my day off tomorrow and I'm not starting it by waking up _here_." My nose scrunched up at the thought and Ayame laughed at my horrified tone. Her merriment was so contagious that I couldn't help but join in. I was still caught in a fit of giggles as we exited the shop and went our separate ways.

The cool night breeze felt wonderful against my clammy skin. The dampness in the air felt like it could almost clean the dried sweat from my face. After a few lungfuls of cold, heavily pine scented, and water laden air I felt rejuvenated and more awake. Unfortunately that only made me all that much more aware of the throbbing in my feet. As soon as I truly acknowledged the ache in my heels I was forced to admit to just how much pain I was in.

After a few more yards, walking had become almost unbearable. The throbs of pain started at my toes and shot up to my calves, stabbing ruthlessly into my aching knees. Suddenly frantic, I searched for a place to sit down. My wandering eyes found a wooden bench, blissfully only a dozen or so yards away. Determinedly I trudged on, forcing myself to make it at least that far, rather than just squatting down beside the road. I almost cried in delight when I reached it. Leaning forward I grabbed at the arm rest before I was even close enough to sit, and used it to drag my weary body the final step. Dropping into an ungraceful heap, I let my head role limply back on my neck. My body was a boneless puddle as I sat there, just breathing in the night air. I now felt chilled by it rather than comforted.

With a groan I sat back up and used the end of my pant leg to drag my foot up and onto my lap. Untying the laces with fumbling fingers, I plucked the knots lose enough that I could pry my foot out. Dropping first the now empty left shoe followed shortly by a crumpled sock unceremoniously to the ground I inspected my aching foot. The sides had turned a deep red, and what looked like the beginning of a watery blister had started to form on my heel. "Oh man, what am I supposed to do abou-"

"What's wrong?" someone monotonously stated from behind me.

Choking on a scream I whirled around, falling from the wooden bench gracelessly. Wildly I looked about, trying to find the disembodied voice. My frantic eyes immediately locked onto the form of a young man standing just behind the bench, his blank cyan eyes boring into mine. _"G-Gaara?" _I garbled out, almost not recognizing him without the giant calabash gourd on his back. I tried desperately to wrap my mind around this unexpected encounter, but my confusion quickly lead to anger instead.

"What the _hell_, are you _trying _to give me a heart attack? Damn it Gaara, we've _talked _about this. You can't keep coming up behind me like that!" I snapped at him, gathering myself up from the ground and plopping back down onto the bench with a huff.

"Hn," he muttered sitting down at the opposite side of the bench. "What's wrong with your foot?"

I grimaced and leaned down to pick up my discarded sock and shoe. "I've just got some blisters today, so I'm a little sore," I muttered to him, pulling my footwear back on and tying off the laces. With a grunt, I dropped my foot back down and leaned against the curved backrest. "So what are you doing here, anyway?"

"When I saw you stumble, I thought you might be injured."

Giving him a tired smirk, I pointed to my throbbing feet. "I am hurt."

Shaking his head he said drily, "No, you're not."

I narrowed my eyes, wishing I hadn't already put my shoe back on, so I could have thrown it at him. I grumbled, "Hurt is hurt, even if it's only from sore feet."

"Hn."

The temptation to stick my tongue out at him was a powerful one, but stronger still was the urge to mock him. "Hn."

Gaara's eyes slit in irritation.

"Not so fun when someone does it to you, huh?" I gave him one more cheeky grin before closing my heavy lids, and leaning my head back. Disappointed that the wooden rails didn't go high enough to support my aching neck. For several minutes we sat there, listening to the crickets chirping.

Gaara's voice broke the silence before too much time could pass. "How long are you going to sit here?"

Creaking open one blurry eye at him I answered, "Not sure, till I have the energy to try getting back to my camp, I suppose."

"And how long…" he paused, "will this take you?"

Chuckling dryly I let my heavy lids slid closed."With how tired I am right now, there's a pretty good chance I might end up sleeping here," I stopped to yawn before continuing. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I can't imagine watching me sleep would be much fun."

I could hear Gaara give an exasperated sigh as he stood. "Get up," he commanded.

Peeling my eyes open a fraction I stared at him drolly. "And why would I want to do that?"

"If you don't stand on your own, I will drag you to your feet."

_What did he just say? I _must _have heard that wrong. _"Excuse me?" I snapped, fully awake and glaring hotly at the demanding jerk before me.

"I said get up, now." He crossed his pale arms over his chest with an air of impatience.

Leaning forward and propping my elbows on my knees I growled, "And why would I do that?"

"So I can get you," he paused searching for the right word, "…home."

Blinking owlishly I mumbled, "Huh?" _Did I hear that right, or am I just so tired that I'm hallucinating?_

Gaara gave an irritated huff before he reached forward and grabbed my left forearm, forcing me to my feet. "Get up, I won't argue with you all night," his raspy voice growled.

Staggering, I had to hold onto Gaara to keep my balance, the sudden pressure on my tender toes brought tears to my eyes. _"Damn it, _Gaara. I told you my feet _hurt!"_ I hissed.

"Hn," he grunted, looking at my wobbling form with bored eyes. "Walk," he said pulling on my arm again, trying to forcibly lead me through the village.

"Gaara!" I gasped, yanking my arm back after being drug several painful steps, falling pathetically onto my ass when I pulled free of his almost gentle grasp. Glaring up at him from the ground I snapped, "I told you my feet are too sore to walk! Forcing me isn't going to help!" I sat there seething at him while he continued to stare at me, his eyes as unreadable as always.

When he suddenly reached down with both hands and grabbed my upper arms I almost yelped, but the move was so fast that before I knew it he had me standing upright again. "Gaara what the hell are you doing?" _I've just about had it with him tonight, so help me if I find something to clobber him with…_

He turned his back on my and dropped down to one knee. "Get on."

I stared at him, buggy eyed. "Huh?" _What is going on here? _I would have stepped back from him had my feet not felt as though they were going to fall off.

Gaara stared at me over his shoulder with a look that clearly said I was an idiot. "Get on my back, and I'll take you home."

Blinking slowly at his look of growing irritation I grumbled, "And why would you do that?"

He looked away but I could tell from how tight his voice was that I was pressing the end of his patience. "Because I can't leave you here by yourself, now get on, or would you rather sleep out here?"

Looking around at the dark, empty, street I shuddered. _He has a point; I didn't want to spend the night in the open like this. Not if there is a way back to my camp. _Frowning, I gingerly stepped forward and grasped his shoulders. "Fine then, if you insist." Leaning into his broad back I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful not to choke him, and tucked my knees snugly against his sides. When he suddenly stood I yelped at the fast movement. Grunting his irritation at me, and accenting it with an annoyed glance over his shoulder, he brought his hands around and cupped the back of my thighs. Supporting some of my weight and holding me firmly in place with a gentle grip. "Hold on," he warned, and I could feel his rock like muscles bunching just before he pushed off.

The sense of vertigo was instant. Before I knew it we were several blocks away; dashing across the high rooftops before my stomach caught up to the rest of me. Staring in wide-eyed horror, I watched as the world flashed by me in a dizzying array of shadows and skyline. I wanted to scream, to beg that he put me down this instant, but my voice was lost to me. My throat tightly constricted and my tongue a dull weightless thing in my mouth.

A wall of massive proportions suddenly loomed over us, but Gaara didn't slow in the least. Instead he sped up and leaped at the thing. Forcing my eyes to close, I braced myself for the deadly impact that was sure to come. Instead of being crushed against the impending wall I felt my weight fall backwards, my forearms dragging against Gaara's neck as he sprinted up the vertical surfface. My eyes snapped open just in time to see us reach the top of the wall…and jump. The surrounding trees bellow rushed at us; a sea of sharp, angry sticks and unforgiving branches.

I tried to scream, but all that came from of my closed throat was a strangled gasp. Gaara glanced back at me as we fell, an amused glint in his normally expressionless eyes. _We had better survive this so I can kill him. _Somehow we flitted down through the treetops, virtually unmolested, barely more than a dozen or so leaves slapped harmlessly against us. After but a few spastic heartbeats Gaara alighted on a thick, curving branch on an ancient tree, pausing just long enough to lean forward and shoot off again. Unbelievably, flying through the trees was even worse than the rooftops. Now, rather than Gaara simply flinging himself from building to building, we were rushing headlong through the foliage at a breakneck pace. Great tree trunks stood directly in our suicidal path before disappearing to either the left or right as Gaara swerved at the last possible second. Avoiding certain death by sparse inches at best.

My eyes burned both from the wind of our passing, and my inability to blink, for fear at this point if I closed my eyes I'd never open them again. Everything but the trunks we so nearly collided with had become a fogged blur of brown, gray, black, and green. The fear that clamped its icy claws into my heart was almost stilled by the surreal, almost unrealistic feel of the situation. After all, how could any mortal move this fast? It just wasn't plausible, but of course that didn't stop my stomach from dropping yet again as Gaara suddenly stopped moving forward. Before I could catch my breath we started a downward plummet straight to the black ground below.

Once again my stomach was left far behind as the wind screamed in my ears. The panic closed in around my throat, suffocating me. I was only dimly aware that my grip on Gaara's neck was nearly choking and that my legs shook from the strain of holding onto his waist so tightly. The tempo of my frantic heartbeat reached dangerous levels as our free fall drug on for seemingly forever; its thundering pound deep in my ears the only thing I could hear over the screaming wind.

Some small part of me was still rational enough to know that this whole ordeal couldn't have taken more than a few short minutes. But that didn't keep me from feeling as though I'd been gripped tightly in the mouth of terror for hours. Every nerve felt aflame, my muscles tensed beyond belief from the terror as we fell; somehow both in slow motion and yet with blinding velocity. The sheer impossibility of that speed was mind numbing. The ground rushed at us. Never before had I considered the soft dirt I'd spent so many nights sleeping on to be deadly. I now realized just how naïve I'd been. No longer able to take it, I scrunched my horrified eyes closed and braced for impact, burying my face in Gaara's neck. Seemingly as soon as my eyes closed we stopped moving and all had fallen silent. The wind no longer screamed in my ears nor did it slap at my face. Even the weightless feeling had vanished, leaving my limbs to drag against Gaara heavily.

"Kida, you can let go now."

Slowly I peeled my lids back and peered into Gaara's reddish-brown hair, his spiky locks poking and tickling my nose. Tilting my head back slowly I looked up at the one faintly amused eye Gaara had staring down at me. Tearing my gaze away from his I peeked over his shoulder. We were standing on the outskirts of my camp, and I could even make out the hazy form of Shadow dozing in the distance. I stared numbly for several long moments, my mind still trying to catch up with the rest of my body.

After awhile Gaara cleared his throat, pulling my scattered attention back to him. "You can get down."

It wasn't till now that I noticed Gaara's hands no longer cupped my legs and his arms were crossed impatiently across his chest. Blushing, I untangled myself from him and fell to the ground in a jumbled heap. _"Ummph!"_

Gasping I tried to pull air back into my lungs as I leaned back on my hands. I gripped the grass in my shaking and clumsy fingers as though if I didn't anchor myself down I'd float up from the damp earth. A chill seeped into my bones, and my teeth chattered as the shock settled in. My muscles alternated between violently shaking and tensing so tightly that it felt as though they would rib themselves from my brittle bones. The pounding of my heart shook my ribcage, and my eyes bulged from their sockets.

Turning to face me, Gaara, watched my panic attack with an expressionless face. After a minute or so he asked tonelessly, "Are you alright?"

Fixing a steely glare on him I snapped, "_No, I'm not alright! _What the hell were you _thinking _pulling a stunt like that!? You could have killed us!" My teeth were chattering so hard I had to clamp my jaw to control them.

"We were in no danger; I knew what I was doing."

Shivering I forced my fingers to release the dry grass so that I could wrap my arms around my knees. "Yeah, but I didn't know that," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. I heard Gaara give an irritated sigh before he sat down next to me. Bitterly I glared at him with one eye from behind a stray lock of curled hair.

He looked pointedly into the trees, avoiding my sour gaze. "I wouldn't have let you be harmed."

I hide my face in my knees to conceal the blush that I could feel blooming on my cheeks. "You're still a jerk," I grumbled, my eyes tearing up from both the stress of the ordeal and the strain of so many scattered emotions.

"Hn," he grumbled sounding amused.

Sulkily I muttered back, "Stupid."

"Hn."

"Jackass," I accused.

This time he was silent.

"Bastard."

He sighed sounding annoyed. "Don't push it."

Smiling, I lifted my face from my knees and scrubbed at my eyes with the heel of my right hand. "Idiot."

"Kida," he said warningly.

I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed at the pinched look on his face. "You deserved it."

Still annoyed with me, he looked away but made no move to leave. "See, you're not even denying it," I smirked, resting my chin on my knobby knees.

Not looking at me he admitted sounding almost contrite, "I didn't mean to scare you."

Flinching, I too looked away guiltily. "I didn't think that you were trying to…" We sat there, surrounded by a pregnant silence. The quiet was broken abruptly when I could no longer contain the loud yawn that had been lying in wait ever since my adrenalin rush had ended. It left a weariness that seeped into my bones, making my limbs leaden.

Gaara finally looked at me, and I smiled apologetically from behind the hand I'd used to cover my mouth. "Sorry."

Blinking slowly at me before he stood he said, "You're still tired, you need to rest."

"You're probably right," I sighed pushing myself up with glaringly less grace than he had. My knees even popped as I straightened them. The burn in my feet returned the instant my weight hit them, and I stumbled back down with a hiss. I peered up at Gaara's mildly concerned face through teary eyes. "I think I'll stay right here tonight. Thanks for getting me this far, this is good enough," I said leaning back in the grass, perfectly content with sleeping here. Gaara continued to stare at me awkwardly for a few quiet moments before stooping down and picking me up, his left arm snaking under my knees and the right hooking around my back. With a yelp, I grabbed a fistfull of his black shirt. "What are you doing?" I snapped, fixing a glare at his impassive face.

"Carrying you," he said simply.

"I can see that," I bit back, "but why are you carrying me?"

Readjusting his grip on my legs before answering he muttered, "I've gotten you this far, might as well take you all the way."

Biting the inside of my cheek so as to not take his toneless voice as an insult, I grumbled in return, "I'm not a child."

"I never said you were."

_If I didn't know better, I'd say he was being condescending. _I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then why are you carrying me like one?"

Ignoring my question, he just started walking. _He probably hopes that it will shut me up…too bad. _"So then you admit it?"

He grunted refusing to look at me. "Admit what?"

"That you're treating me like a child!" I all but shouted at him.

He glared down at me, looking as though he was considering dropping me. "Do you always have to be this difficult?"

"Yes," I snapped.

He sighed, "Can't you just be silent?"

"Nope."

His tone was now strained. "Why not?" he forced from between clenched teeth.

"Because I'm a peaceful person that is filled with violent rage," I answered now hoping to, at the very least, aggravate him for what he'd put me through tonight.

"No you're not," he sighed, not bothering to look at me now.

"Oh yeah, and what makes you say that wise guy?" I grumbled releasing his shirt and crossing my arms over my chest.

He tilted his head down to look at me. "You don't have the eyes."

My forehead crumpled at his odd statement. _What is he talking about, what eyes? _"Oookay…" I drawled. "You're still a jerk." Gaara clenched his teeth and lengthened his strides, quickly closing the final gap between us and my cot. He bent sharply at his waist and dropped me unceremoniously to the ground. "Yip!" I cried just before the air was all but knocked out of me for the second time tonight. "Did you have to drop me like that?" I moaned. "I'm starting to think you should come with warning label…" His eyes narrowed at me yet again and he looked like he was about to say something but I cut him off before he could, "But I guess you did try to help, sort of, so…thanks."

Gaara's face went blank once more. "You're welcome," he said quietly, and without any further warning he disappeared. Blinking in surprise I looked around for him, eyes searching the gloom for some hint of the strange Sand ninja. I shook my head chuckling. "I'm never going to get used to that am I?" The reality of what happened tonight still had my head spinning.

Leaning back and twisting onto my side, I curled up for the night, not even bothering to kick my shoes off. My heavy lids started shutting as soon as my head came down on the folded saddle pad I used as a pillow. One last thought filtering through my head before the darkness took me: _if I could get a firm grip on reality, I think I'd choke it._

**AN: Whew, boy was that one long chapter! And with a bit of a surprise twist, I had originally planned on making Kida have a argument with Chouji but somehow it ended up being Kiba, oh well, what are you gonna do? Speaking of, Kida, how can you hate dogs? They're adorable! ****So did anyone notice that there was finally a small snippet of Kida's childhood in there? Now before anyone asks, no, Kida didn't wander all the way to Suna as a child, but how she got there will be revealed soon. If you want to find out you'll just have to keep reading…and reviewing of course. ;)**

**By the way there's a picture of Gaara carrying Kida that I drew to go along with this chapter if anyone's interested in seeing it. Just take out the spaces of the link or visit my Deviant art page.**

**gaaras1girl1719. deviantart art/Gaara-and-Kida- 20088 1481?q= sort%3Atime %20Gaara&q o=3**


	23. Chapter 23: Beneath the Stars

**AN: Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. And again a special thank you goes out to **CrystalVenom19**, I love you girl. Now remember. my pretties, be sure to click the shiny review button at the end of this if you want to keep me around. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-14-2013**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but Kida and Shadow are mine. **_**Pity them.**_

_"Words are vehicles that can transport us from the drab sands to the dazzling stars."_

-M. Robert Syme

**Chapter 23: Beneath the Stars**

The dying sound of birdsong filled the multi-hued twilight sky. It seemed as though with every bird that ceased to sing a cricket or frog took its place, adding his or her own voice to the tranquil mix. I loved this time of day.

Nothing could match the music of the night, the tantalizing echo in the shadows, and the energizing chill that nipped the air. The feeling that anything was possible beneath the many twinkling stars above. By the cover of darkness something as inane as a snapping twig, or the distant rustle of leaves, could be any one of a thousand things. Varying from something as harmless as a field mouse scrambling to escape the silent grasp of an owl. To some sort of dark, mysterious, creature come to seek out its nightly feast; before the first rays of the morning sun could banish it once more from the world of light. There is magic under the cloak of darkness.

I'd waited patiently all day for this. For the time when the edge of the sun just started to dip bellow the distant mountaintops. Filling the sky with passionate colors the way a painter filled a canvas, only a hundred times more beautiful. Each color was an expression to the world, every vibrant streak calling to the beings rooted below: "Hey, look at me! Have you ever seen anything so glorious?" Not a single hue could be ignored, nor a fraction overlooked, for every splash was breathtaking in its own right. How could anyone not appreciate such raw, unmolested splendor?

Sometimes I wondered if the reds that streaked the horizon were as hot as they appeared, or the blues as cool. As a child I would often stretch out on my tiptoes, reaching up. Wanting nothing more than to run my fingers through those stunning swirls above. I'd been frustrated beyond belief that my arms were too short to grasp the beauty just above, and that I was too little to touch the heavens. _What an odd child I must have been… _I thought to myself with a weak smile, returning from my nostalgic musings to the task at hand.

My day off had been superbly lazy. Not only had I slept well past noon, but when I finally did awaken, I spent several hours alternating between basking in the sun, and floating dreamily in the meekly flowing river. Only now that the sun had finally begun to set was I finally starting to saddle Shadow.

Too much time had been allowed to slip past since I'd last taken him out for some exercise. _And just what sort of good day could be complete without a leisurely stroll under the stars?_ I pulled the girth strap tight and Shadow started to fuss. I stroked his short, pudgy neck and shushed him, "Easy boy. Quiet now, it'll loosen up later, don't you worry." He snorted and continued to toss his head about, ignoring my attempts to settle him.

Smiling tenderly at his antics, I bent to pick up my tied bed roll and attached it snugly to the front of my old saddle. "Okay, big guy, it's time to go," I said grabbing the rains and horn in one hand. Placing my foot in the stirrup I hoisted myself onto his barrel of a back. The leather was cold under my thighs and it sent a chill up my arms. Though after the initial shock it quickly warmed from my touch, and in a moment I could feel Shadow's body heat rising through the worn seat; well polished from age.

Lightly squeezing Shadows ribs I asked him to walk, and with a grunt that almost sounded pained he complied. I rolled my eyes at him. _He really is getting lazy, the old mule. _Leaning forward I stroked his short neck, feigning sympathy. "There now, you'll enjoy this in a bit, promise." Ignoring me yet again he continued to drag his feet lazily to the edge of our clearing, loathe to enter the dim wall of trees.

A cold voice interrupted our tortoise like race for the treeline, "Where are you going?"

Shadow stopped and his ears swiveled back; I followed the direction they faced, peering into the growing darkness for our unexpected visitor. "Gaara?" I called into the dim trees, craning my body as far as I could in the saddle, but saw nothing. "Gaara, where are you?" I asked the shadows again, still scanning for the sand master. Only the sound of the night creatures answered my call. _If he isn't going to stop playing games then I'll just ignore him. _I thought sourly. Growing irritated I turned back around; fighting the urge to sigh aloud.

I gasped when I saw the pair of icy-blue, black rimmed, eyes looking up at me from just below my right elbow.

"Where are you going?" he asked again, still staring at me.

Clutching at my pounding heart I glared down at my apparent warden. "I was going to go for a night ride, but now it looks like I'm going to need my heart restarted," I grumbled in irritation.

"Is there something wrong with it?" he asked tonelessly, his head cocking ever so slightly to one side.

"No, but you did almost give me a heart attack. You know I'm starting to think you do this on purpose." I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. _It would be just like that jerk to get his kicks out of scaring me…_

"Why would you go for a 'night ride'?" he asked, ignoring my impending heart failure. In this gloom his eyes seemed to glow, and the rings around them seemed infinitely darker.

I was about to bite back with a scathing retort, but I was caught off guard when I noticed that once again his gourd was absent. My brows furled at that. _Why _doesn't _he have it with him? I thought he needed it for protection or something like that? _Blinking owlishly, I met his cyan gaze; he was still waiting patiently for me to answer. Looking up to the sky, now beginning to show several dozen sparkling stars on its indigo expanse, I said, "I just like riding under the stars, when I was a kid I used to think that anything was possible under the light of the moon. That _something _was waiting just around the next bend. I find it peaceful."

"…Hmm," he mumbled.

Blushing, I stole a glance at the stoic boy and found him also gazing at the sky, a thoughtful expression in his light eyes. _Great, as if he didn't think I was a big enough idiot before, now he probably thinks I plan to go chasing after fairies or something equally ridiculous... _Turning my gaze skyward again I joined him in his silent brooding. For several moments we continued to look up together, watching as more and more diamond like stars winked into existence on the darkening canvas. After the last stains from the sun had faded from the sky I broke the elongated silence. "So what were you doing? Before you snuck up on me I mean," I asked tearing my gaze from the heavens above.

Gaara tilted his head toward me. "Waiting for the sun to set," he said looking back at the sky again. "I…enjoy, looking at the night sky."

I thought it over for a moment, taking a closer look at the blackened pigmentation that framed his slanted eyes. _It makes sense, after all what else was there to do at night when you're incapable of sleep? _The thought of those empty hours was depressing, but the thought of never being able to sleep was horrifying. _Maybe… maybe he doesn't need to spend the whole night alone… if I were him, having someone to spend those long, lonely, hours with would lessen the burden…_

Looking down at Gaara, I bit the inside of my cheek as an idea started to take shape. "Gaara, do you…I mean would you want to…_urgh!_" I grunted looking away from him. _Why can't I just say it? _Forcing my eyes to lock onto the scuffed saddle horn, I forced myself to finish the question. "Gaara, would you like to come with me? I mean, if you want to…" my voice drifted off and blood rushed to my cheeks.

Keeping my stare fixed on my reins I studiously ignored the prickling feel of his eyes on me, too embarrassed to meet his probing gaze. After a few awkward moments that seemed to drag on for an excruciatingly long time, I could no longer stand the agonizing silence. Stealing a glance at him from behind a lock of curly red hair I was surprised to find him staring at me. His face marginally more open than usual, but his eyes were hard as flint and painfully suspicious.

_Strange that he would be so mistrustful of me; I thought we'd moved past that. _"You can ride behind me and hold onto the back of the saddle, or my waist," I told him while removing my foot from the right stirrup. It somehow seemed wrong to let him keep searching for a reason not to trust me, like he expected some sort of deceit from my innocent offer. _Is he really that paranoid?_

Gaara stared down at the stirrup I'd freed for him for a second before his gaze flicked back to my face. "Unless of course you're _afraid _of riding a horse," I teased him with a catty grin. His eyes narrowed and he stepped into the open stirrup. Taking a hold of the saddle horn he swung onto Shadows rump and kicked his foot loose; all with far more grace than I ever could have managed.

"Hold on," I warned, glad that my ribbing had worked. Smiling to myself, I gave Shadow a squeeze and he moved into a brisk walk. Gaara's knees bumped the back of my own as he fought for balance against the unfamiliar movement, and I had to fight off a budding laugh. Looking over my shoulder, I discreetly checked on Gaara, and had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from ginning like an idiot. He was clutching the back of the saddle so fiercely that his knuckles had turned white, and the nervous look on his usually stoic face was oddly endearing.

It was strange to see him so out of his element. The furrow on his hairless brows was almost adorable, and the uncertainty clouding his beautiful blue eyes was sweet, in its own way. _They look just like the little moons I often thought of them as a child. _My eyes softened sadly at the thought. I continued my exam distractedly, following the straight, fine line of his nose down to his thin, pale mouth and coming to a stop there. It was pulled into a tight line, the tips of his clenched teeth exposed from behind his half grimace, and somehow making his chapped lips alluring.

Biting my bottom lip, I turned my face away. _What __am_ _I doing? It's ridiculous to think about Gaara like this. He is a Suna _shinobi _for heavens sake! The last thing he needs is some idiotic civilian staring at him like a love struck teenager. And why should I be staring? It's no secret that a ninja is basically an assassin for hire, who lived short, bloody, lives. So why on earth would I be thinking about him like this? Civilians and shinobi were like oil and water. We're from two different worlds, and those worlds are not meant to overlap. Could a civilian even have feelings for someone capable of killing in cold blood, and if so just what does that say about the civilian? But what if I _do _have feelings for Gaara? How could I even be sure? _These thoughts were beginning to give me a headache…

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I cleared my head. Deciding to test myself, I pictured Gaara's face. In detail I called his every feature to mind, starting with his icy eyes. From a distance they looked flat and lifeless, but up close they were full of color and textures. At the edges they were so pale that they were almost silver, but towards the center, they deepened first to sky-blue then gray; before fading into a tiny speck of black as his iris melted into almost invisible pupils. They were so small that in the sunlight they would all but disappear.

His pallid skin seemed almost gray against the ebony circles around his eyes. Those rings made his gem like irises seem all the brighter, so much that they appeared to be ghostly lights shinning from the darkness. My thoughts moved to his rounded baby fat cheeks, and the way his thin lips curtained his almost pointed teeth. Even the ropy scar on his forehead, with its carved pits and angry, bubbled welts, came to mind with a certain tenderness.

A sudden feeling like butterflies and bubbles filled my stomach, and made my heart flutter a few beats; giving an extra tight squeeze when I thought of his beautiful cyan eyes. _Shit. How had this happened? Why am I so fond of him? He was and is a murder, and at times mentally unhinged. I'd seen as much myself. He's _dangerous_. I should be _avoiding_ him, not thinking how beautiful his damn his eyes are. What the hell is _wrong_ with me? _A sense of foreboding clutched at my heart, and I began to regret the decision to invite Gaara with me tonight. I was getting in too deep.

We came to a sharp rise and Shadow leapt forward without warning, rushing up the shallow embankment. Gaara cursed under his breath and leaned forward to grab my waist to keep seated. His arms were warm around me, and I could feel the quickened beat of his heart against my back through his black shirt. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of Gaara's muscled chest, and solid heartbeat. _How did he do this to me? Could this really be the same boy, who as a child had cast me away from him, ordering me to go away and stay away?_

XXXXXXX

We rode like that for nearly an hour. Gaara's grip on me had relaxed as he grew accustomed to the sway of Shadows hips, but he hadn't totally released me from his grasp. Nor was I going to ask him to. After awhile he had started looking about, taking in the scenery as it slowly passed. For once seeing things he would have otherwise missed at the superhuman speed he usually enjoyed.

Unexpectedly, Gaara rested his chin on my right shoulder. Startled by the sudden change, I looked back at him. Gaara's breathing froze, his whole body turning rigid. He stared up at me, seemingly waiting for me to tell him off or to demand that he no longer touch me. Instinctually I knew that what I chose to do now would shift the balance of the touch and go dance we'd somehow started. With but a few words I could shatter what little trust he had in me, and probably forever free myself of his company. Destroying whatever fragile bond we'd inadvertently forged. Or I could push us over the knife's edge; jumping into whatever lay beyond.

My next actions could ultimately decide where this thing we had would go, all with but a few words or simple actions. So much as shrugging my shoulders to rid myself of him could end this strange companionship, or I could choose to further this and see where that road could lead. _No pressure, none at all. Thanks for putting me on the spot like this Gaara, thanks a lot. I don't know if I'm ready to make this decision…_

I was dimly aware that if I rejected him he could, and maybe even would, kill me. For that reason alone I should shove him off, end this parody of…_whatever _it was we had. But such thoughts vanished completely as I stared into his lovely, pained eyes. I could lose myself in his stunning gaze. _Could I really add myself to the list of people who _have _hurt him? _It was no secret that Gaara had been rejected by every person who knew the truth about what he was. I knew that he had been scorned for the things he had no control of. There was no doubt that it had left emotional scars on him, and from what I'd seen before, mental ones as well.

_Would I really add yet another injury to his layers of pain? Could I? Just how much damage could a person take before they snapped? Not in the violent, cold, exterior way that he often used to keep everyone at arm's length, but the true sort of insanity. The kind you don't just walk away from._

_Is it already too late for Gaara? Would I just be dooming myself to an already lost cause? If I accept this gesture, would I be anchoring myself to him? Becoming emotionally attached to something no more human than an animal in the skin of the boy I knew? _I couldn't help but think of the animalistic glee he'd exhibited that night not so long ago in that darkened ally. The way he had reveled in another's pain with what looked like nothing short of primal lust.

_But hadn't he done that for me? To _save _me? _Forcing such disturbing thoughts away I looked deeply into his eyes. I saw that he seemed to be withdrawing from me and going back into himself, loosing confidence because of my silence. _No, I won't add my name to the list of people who have hurt him; if there was a price to later be paid for showing him some sort of kindness, I'd gladly pay it. I owed him at least that much. _Smiling softly I said, "I'm glad you decided to come."

I turned away from him, once again watching the winding trail ahead. Once I no longer faced him, Gaara relaxed against me. His body felt almost limp after how strained he had been. His round cheek warmly pressed against my neck. _How could I have ever considered hurting him, even for a moment? _The thought of turning him away felt wrong, dirty. Knowing that I had come so close to denying him such simple creature comforts left a bitter taste on my tongue.

_Gaara deserves better than that. How could I have doubted him?_

The memory of his twisted, manic, face that night in the ally flashed through my mind's eye. I involuntarily shivered, and the hair on my arm prickled. Gaara felt my weak quiver and looked up, his stoic gaze appearing almost confused. Smiling grimly I answered his unasked question with a lie.

"Cold," I mumbled.

"Hn," he muttered against my throat, and his breath moistened my neck. His grip tightened on my waist, pulling me into his broad chest. I couldn't help but picture the little boy I'd played with during those fleeting days in the Sand Village. Even with all that I'd seen, knowing what he'd done since we were children, and all the time that had passed, I still cared for him. Maybe more now than ever before.

Leaning back into Gaara's chest, I sighed and rested my head against his unruly mess of reddish-brown hair. He twitched against me in shock, his breath catching in his throat. Chances were good that I was the first person to touch him like this. I may very well be the only one brave enough, or stupid enough, to try. That knowledge filled my heart with both pain for him, and with a hint of selfish satisfaction, knowing that I was the only one that gotten this close to him.

Strange though, I didn't feel the need to be brave when being with Gaara like this. It felt natural, like breathing, only better. In fact I felt…_safe _in his arms. My head resting heavily against his was comforting in a way I wouldn't have thought possible. His thick, windblown, hair proved to be an excellent pillow. With my face pressed so close to him my senses were invaded by his warm scent.

Lucidly, I placed my free hand on the loose fist Gaara had clasped around my waist. I lightly stroked the taut skin there, feeling the bones of his fingers twitch under my soft caress. His breath hitched in my ear, and a shudder ran through him, making his arms around me spasm briefly.

No longer pausing to consider the consequences of my actions, I softly pulled on his long fingers; trying to get him to release his grip on me. Understanding what I wanted, he removed his hand from my waist in one of those blindingly fast movements he was so prone to. I froze for a moment as my eyes adjusted to the sudden change, my mind racing to catch up. _"Ninjas," _I chuckled sourly under my breath before twining my fingers through his. Mystified by the pleasured chill that shot up my arm and tickled my elbow, I stared at our joined hands.

My skin felt electric wherever we touched, and his long fingers laced through mine in a way that was surreally comfortable. Gaara exhaled deeply, his breath damp against my neck. Closing my eyes I deeply inhaled his scent; it was like leather and cinnamon with a hint of dark chocolate. I melted into him, completely and utterly relaxed in our strange half-embrace.

Suddenly and without warning Shadow stopped. Coming to a halt with a snort he reached down to scrub the side of his face against one foreleg; pitching my weight forward and almost pulling the reins from my relaxed grasp. Startled, I released my hold on Gaara's hand and lifted my head from his. "Whoops," I muttered looking around.

While I'd been distracted Shadow had wandered from the deer path we'd been following, and paused amongst an unidentifiable cluster of trees. "Looks like we got a little sidetracked," I said quietly, trying not to blush, and from the feel of it, failing miserably.

Gaara looked around with expressionless eyes. "Hn," he muttered.

_Apparently the spell has been broken, a__nd why wouldn't it be? What are we _supposed_ to do after that? _I tried to stifle an unexpected yawn and looked back at him apologetically. "Well, it looks like I'm going to be staying here tonight," I muttered sheepishly, almost embarrassed by how drowsy I was. Gaara released his hold on me and slid from Shadow's back. "Are you going back to the village?" I asked while stepping down from the saddle, gingerly setting my weight onto my still tender feet.

Gaara stood in silence, watching me as I started to remove Shadow's tack for the night so I could hobble him. "Or, if you want, you can stay. You know, make sure nothing eats me," I joked playfully. When I received no answer I smirked at him over my shoulder. "You're being extra quiet tonight; you're not worried about the exams tomorrow, are you?"

His eyes suddenly turned frigid. His face contorted into a frightening arrangement of sharp angles and pitch shadows on his gray tinged, corpse-like face. "I'm not afraid. Tomorrow the Uchiha dies and his blood will mingle with the others in my sand," His voice was malicious and a freakish parody of a smile alighted his thin lips in a way that bared far to many teeth. A shiver ran down my spine at the look in his eye. _This was what I'd been afraid of before. The madness just beneath the surface, that unpredictable sandstorm lying in wait. _Almost as soon as the sadistic glint had entered his eyes it disappeared; his features once more achieved a more rounded, human appearance.

Blinking, a thought suddenly occurred to me. "You don't mean Sasuke Uchiha, do you?" I asked.

Gaara looked almost surprised. "You know him?"

Nodding I said, "We met once. Personally I think the guy really needs to lighten up, or at least have that stick pulled out of his ass."

Gaara's brows furled, "What stick?"

"It's just an expression," I said laughing. "So he's the guy you're gonna fight with?"

Gaara nodded curtly with a sharp, animalistic gleam lightening his eyes.

I ignored the look, hoping it would go away on is own. "Cool, can't wait to see you two go at it tomorrow."

He suddenly looked at me seriously, with something akin to worry on his face. "You can't go to the exams," he said tersely.

Confused I paused from folding the saddle pad into a suitable pillow. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I go?"

Gaara's jaw was clenched, the cords in his neck standing in high relief. "It's not safe. You can't go to the village during the match."

"But why? People always watch Genin take their chunin exams," I said cocking my head to one side. _What's he talking about? Why _wouldn't_ it be safe?_

With fists clenched at his sides Gaara snapped, "You can't go; you have to stay out of the village."

"Gaara, the whole reason I came to the Leaf was to see these exams! Besides I've got to be there to cheer you on," I playfully argued with a smile, hoping to lighten his suddenly dark mood. _Just where is this coming from all of a sudden? And what's he so worried about, anyway? Nothing is going to happen to me from just watching the public fights._

A frantic light had entered Gaara's eyes and his constricted fists cracked under the strain. "You can't be there tomorrow. You have to _stay_ _away_," he gritted from between clenched teeth.

Startled, I blinked at him. "Okay, Gaara, just relax. It'll be okay I'll stay where it's safe," I said to pacify him.

Gaara visibly relaxed, his usually blank expression sliding back into place.

_It isn't a lie, exactly. I never said I _wasn't_ going to the exams, but it's not like I was going to be in any _actual _danger just sitting in the stands. _I finished folding my saddle pad and started unrolling the blanket I'd attached to the front of my saddle earlier. Once that was done I laid it down in front of my makeshift pillow.

"So are you staying, or are you going to let me take my chances with a native wildlife, and let something eat me?" I joked teasingly, changing the subject.

As I stretched out on the ground I tiredly gazed up at him. Gaara stood there, looking for all the world as though he were being pulled in two directions. His features pinched with uncertainty. "Look," I sighed closing my eyes in frustration. "Either go back to the village and sit on some strangers roof for the rest of the night, or…" I looked up at his confused face. "Stay here…with me." Gaara stared down at me, unmoving as a statue.

With an irritated sigh I rolled over and faced away from him. I grumbled under my breath, "That boy is gonna drive me nuts." After a few moments I felt the blanket shift as Gaara laid down beside me. Smiling with numb lips I muttered softly as I slipped into the darkness, "Good night, Gaara."

"…Good night, Kida," his gravelly voice rumbled gently by my ear, his breath warm against my neck. I sighed happily as I drifted off, warm and peaceful.

**AN: About time huh? I know, I know it took forever but at least now we're seeing movement between these two. I hope it wasn't just nauseatingly sappy. This was one of those chapters that was done years ago and has been waiting for its chance to be used (after some serious edits were made). **

**I'd like to leave a quick request: **_**Please **_**stop spamming my inbox with one or two-word reviews. If all you have to say about my story is: Kawaii, Great job, Loved it, or generally **_**anything**_** written in "text-speak" then please, do keep it to yourself. I don't need, nor desire empty praise. To the rest of you, your reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you to my fans who have been here over the years and to all the newbies, you guys are all fantastic.**


	24. Chapter 24: Moonlit Doubts

**AN: Gaara's POV here, pretend to act surprised. Special thanks to crystalvenom19, onewithnothing, GaaraHorses4ever, and maneatingraccoon. You guys rock my socks off, or you would if I were wearing any. This chapter has been rewritten: 3-14-2014**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. And thank God for that because the fans would kill me for my inconstant updates!**

_Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open._

_-John Barrymore_

**Chapter 24: Moonlit Doubts**

_How…how did I get into this? _I thought to myself as I stared blankly at the tree branches far above; desperately trying to ignore the civilian girl _clinging _to me in her sleep. _Somewhere, out there among the stars must be some sort of divine entity that hates me, or at the very least finds tormenting me greatly amusing._

An unusually loud snore ripped from Kida, and it took a serious force of will not to flinch. _How could such a loud, irritating, noise come from such a relatively small girl? _I thought sourly to myself, fixing Kida's curly red-hair with an irritated glare. Her head rested on my chest just above the hand she had holding a fistful of my shirt. Not long ago she had also wrapped one leg over my own, her right ankle was hooked around the back of my left leg. It was now impossible to escape without waking the little snoring menace. I had to swallow back a sigh of irritation as yet another garbled snort choked past her parted lips. _This has to be one of the longest nights of my existence…_

Though if I were honest with myself, it wasn't the worst night…the strangest perhaps, but not the worst. When I relaxed and closed my eyes I could still feel Kida's fingers from earlier, ghosting against the back of my hand, her touch light as a feather and so deliciously warm. Never would I have imagined that tonight would bear such a surprising turn of events.

When I had unthinkingly rested my head on Kida's shoulder I was sure she'd finally reject me. That she would at last turn the deplorable creature of the sands away. Maybe even go as far as shove me off her person. I wouldn't have blamed her for it if she had, and when she stared down at me with such indecision written on her face I'd began to think the worst. That I had ruined one of the few good things to happen in my accursed life.

At the very best I had hoped she would deign my idiotic act for what it was, a thoughtless move, but what she had done far defied even my greatest hope. When she spoke those simple, kind, words my whole body had given way under the weight of her acceptance. Her voice sliced through me like a puppeteer's strings being cut. That little kindness was more than anyone else had ever given me. Then when she had shifted back, leaning into my chest…I had never felt so…so…there are no words for it. I had no way of truly defining the foreign, yet wonderful feeling.

That contact, willingly given, sparked a fire in my aching chest. Filling the chasm with a flame that both burned excruciatingly hot, and with a gentle warmth that healed. It had taken every ounce of what little will power that I possessed to keep my grip on the girl from crushing her. That much I had learned from the last time. Her touch was so much more significant, so much more _wholesome _when she was the one touching me.

Even though she curled against me now in her slumber, it lacked the fire, the _intensity _that it held when she was awake, and willingly holding me in her arms or leaning into my embrace. Not that I didn't enjoy the feel of her frail limbs wrapped around me so tightly, as though I anchored her down, but I would find the experience far more enjoyable had it came without her boisterous snores. Never would I have imagined such horrid noises could come from such a small creature. The loud, grating, snorts almost made me wish the hours would tick by faster, so that with the morning sun she would awaken and release me to return to the village. Once there I could ready myself for the fight that would allow me to destroy everyone who had stood in my way, and more than likely would lead to the end of the Leaf Village itself.

Unexpectedly, thinking of the upcoming events tomorrow filled my heart equally with both anticipation and dread. Not only did the exams mark the end of Sasuke Uchiha, and his miserable homeland with its cockroach-like infestation of people, but it also meant that with the end of the Leaf would mean the end of my encounters with Kida. Though this strange girl had somehow managed to unknowingly worm her way past my defenses, and at the moment into my arms, my…_affections_, for her still paled in comparison to my lust for blood. I may be able to, so far, resist the desire to end her life, but that didn't mean my attraction to her was strong enough to deter me from my _true _path, the path of a demon.

My unpredicted, and initially unwanted, feelings towards this girl would, for now, spare her life. But there were still countless others in this disgustingly crowded world who were fair game. Logically, killing her would be counterproductive. In the act of killing, the robbing of someone else's existence was what proved that I existed. By killing them I proved that I was here, that I could change something in this accursed world, and by doing such the humans had to accept that I'm here, that I'm alive. If they chose to ignore me then they chose to ignore the danger they were in, and consequently could end up getting killed themselves. But with Kida I didn't have to kill to prove that I was here. She acknowledged my existence without me resorting to violence and bloodshed.

In that sense it made killing her pointless. So long as she acknowledged that I am here, that I am _real, _doesn't that mean that to her I exist? It was for that very reason that I continued to be, for if no one knew you existed what reason was there for living? Of course killing gave me more than enough purpose in my life; in fact until very recently if nearly fulfilled my every need, or so I had thought. How could I have known that one could exist by being held in the arms of another? Even if that person was so pitifully weak that they couldn't escape my grasp even if they tried. Perhaps the means of this new form of existence lay within the fact that she wouldn't try to break free from my embrace? Maybe what mattered was that she didn't _want_ to.

It was for those reasons that killing this strange civilian would be illogical, and I was nothing if not logical. A demon I may be but a stupid brute I am not. After years of intense thought I had come to the conclusion for how and why I exist, and now that I found a new way, one that could coincide with my chosen path, why should I destroy it? There was no doubt that without blood my existence would slowly fade away, but with both blood and the companionship of this girl I could survive in new ways, in _more _ways. And the more that I proved my existence the more real I became, ensuring that I will never disappear.

Now, the problem arose of what will happen after the exams. Without a doubt I knew that Kida couldn't attend. The thought of her getting caught in the upcoming crossfire was chilling, and even if she weren't hurt, there was no way that she wouldn't see me in my transformed state. There was no question in my mind that she would reject me then. I almost couldn't blame her if she did. No one would wish to be near me after seeing the real face I hide behind this human mask. If she were to run I would have to kill her, for all who ran away from me must die. And if she chose to leave me, abandon me, then no longer would she be able to let me experience this new form of existing. Once she lost that power she would lose her value and I would have no reason _not _to kill her.

The thought of ending her life caused something in my chest to twist almost painfully. I didn't _want _to add her blood to my sand, but if she were to run from me what other choice would I have? Especially when Shukaku's bloodlust was swimming through my veins. His voice whispering in my head, telling me just how _sweet_ her blood would be, and how alive I would feel with her crimson life dripping in sticky lines down my fingers…_No, she mustn't be there tomorrow. For both her sake and my own._ Now that I have her I don't know how I would handle losing her.

Even if she, by some miracle, didn't run; the chances of her getting hurt were far too great and I couldn't allow that. She was mine and as such I alone would be the one to kill her if the time came. Again that uncomfortable clenching tore at my chest. Frowning, I ignored it. If Kida were in danger I would have to destroy whatever, or whoever, threatened her existence. And that would leave me open to an attack.

Before coming to the Leaf I wouldn't have even worried about such a possibility. Having believed that someone being capable of landing a physical blow on me was an impossibility, but after my encounter with the green clad Genin I'd learned otherwise. It had been a sobering experience. Again I was reminded of my second failed attempt to kill that boy. If I hadn't been interrupted earlier today he would be dead right now, his blood flowing freely with the countless others in my gourd. That was fine with me, for tomorrow he, along with everyone else caught in my path, would die. _I will kill them __all._

My vision started to blur as the thought filled my bloodstream with adrenalin. The beat of my heart thumped wildly and I gritted my teeth, trying to curb the sudden flow of bloodlust. I fought to ignore the sweet call of endorphins that promised to come after I made a kill. Sometimes, if I was lucky enough to _completely _satiate my need for carnage, I could then sit back and enjoy the natural drug that flooded my system. It was euphoric, the feeling that washed over me after I quenched the sands thirst, and with it, my own.

It had been happened on several occasions after missions that got…_interesting_. Times where Temari and Kankuro had been forced to wait on me while I sat there, leaning against whatever I found suitable, running my fingers through the sand, still fat, dripping, and sticky with fresh blood. Sometimes I'd take saturated handfuls and press them to my nose, inhaling the bitter sweet scent of iron and other bodily fluids. Sated, I would sit there with a broad grin on my face, riding out the high.

But in this moment those urges were unwanted. It would be terribly difficult to ignore such a strong desire with a human in my arms, utterly defenseless. Tomorrow I _would _answer the call, but for now I wanted to enjoy this moment, this _other _form of existence. I needed a distraction to pull my thoughts away and calm my frantically beating heart. It had been _so __long_ since I satisfied my thirst, _so_ _long _since last I showed the world that I, Sabaku No Gaara, was in fact alive…

I took a deep breath, hoping the heady scent of pine-needles would clear my muddled thoughts. There were more important things that needed my attention right now. Later I would be free to satisfy my body's urges to my hearts content, but for right now I needed to focus on the matter at hand before I was otherwise occupied. That matter of course being the sleeping girl that lay, not entirely unwanted, in my arms.

Having Kida safely away from the village simplified things greatly, but the question remained of what would happen afterwards? After the war started, then what? I had planned on forgetting the girl once I was done using her, maybe even quickly killing her myself as I brought the village to its knees. But after the events that transpired I no longer wanted either of those things. The problem was what _did _I want?

Opening my eyes and looking down, I watched her sleep. Utterly peaceful if not for the obnoxiously loud snores that escaped her almost comically bulbous lips. I never would have thought there could be any person who could "saw wood", as so Temari eloquently put it, as loudly as Kankuro. I would be impressed if it weren't so damn annoying. Tentatively reaching out, I brushed a lock of bloody-red hair from her face, my fingertips brushing delicately across her freckled forehead. "What am I supposed to do with you?" I asked her, desperate for answers.

Mewing softly she buried her face deeper into my abdomen, her leg curling tighter around mine. Sighing, I looked back to the distant stars above, but continued to play gently with her hair, wrapping and unwrapping my fingers about her loose curls. "What _am _I going to do?" this time morosely asking the stars above. I had to stifle a sigh when I was answered by another throaty snore.

This may be the first time that I was glad I couldn't sleep. For all I know these may be the last hours I will get to spend with this strange, yet fascinating, girl. Once more my chest was stricken by a dull ache and subconsciously my fingers fisted around her hair, pulling sharply at her scalp. With a husky grumble Kida muttered,_"Mmm, 'top it!" _Her fist jerked at my shirt as she tried pulling into a tighter ball against me, squeaking in a mouse-like fashion when that only succeeded to pull on her hair more.

Realizing what I was doing, I quickly released my hold on her head. She relaxed against me again, her grip on my shirt loosening. Apologetically I smoothed her locks back into place, rubbing away my mistake. Sighing in her sleep she melted back into my side. Her trust in me brought both a gentle warmth to my limbs and a disgusted churn to my stomach. She shouldn't be so comfortable lying with a demon. _No one _should.

If I so desired I could easily reach my hand down and snap that thin neck of hers. Inch my fingers from atop her head down to her slender throat. With one hand I could clamp down on her windpipe and crush it. There would be no fuss, no fight. She would be dead before she even awoke, freeing me to get up and leave immediately, or sit and wait until the warmth faded from her lifeless limbs before untangling myself from her body.

In retrospect it was also that blind trust that saved her from such a fate. If anyone else were to touch me, even accidentally, I would have killed them on the spot. If I hadn't been under strict orders not to kill anyone until the end of the exams, Kida, would have died that first day in the village. Of course most people had the common sense to stay away from me of their own violation, but not her. Not this stupid, cumbersome, _twit _of a girl. No, instead here she was, clinging to me as though I were just another human, like I wasn't a monster.

How someone so innocent chose to sleep in the arms of something as foul as myself was beyond my comprehension. By all rights I shouldn't be able to touch her, and by doing so I wondered if I had, in someway, soiled her. If by holding her like this I was leaving some sort of tainted, unholy mark on her very being. _Are demons allowed to touch angels?_ I almost laughed aloud at the ridiculous thought as I pictured one of her many screaming bouts, and furious rampages in my mind. Let alone the less than lady-like language I knew she liked to use. No, she was no angel, not by a long shot, but she was still too clean for a creature like me to be touching her.

Closing my eyes to once again clear my wandering mind, I relaxed. Soaking up the gentle heat that Kida radiated, and drowning myself in the teasing scent of her shampoo. Tomorrow this all may likely come to an end, but tonight…tonight I would enjoy this small glimpse of heaven while it lasted. In these brief remaining hours I could close my eyes and pretend that I wasn't a demon, and that Kida and I could stay like this. I could even pretend that she didn't snore so much.

Yes, I would enjoy this glimpse of what it must be like to be human, because tomorrow I was expected to unleash the darkest part of my nature on the unsuspecting masses of the Leaf Village. Then I would bathe myself in the blood of hundreds, maybe even thousands. But not right now. For now I get to be normal, be a man rather than a monster. Tonight I get to _pretend._

**AN: Well how was that look through Gaara's eyes? I hope you all enjoyed it. Of course I won't know for sure unless you review. ;) Personally I'd like to say that I absolutely loved this chapter. Love, love, love, loved it! And I hope you did too. I know it was a bit short, but Gaara's chapters usually are. Tis' their nature. ;)**

**__****Again********, I'd like to ****__****remind****__********you guys to please not leave one or two-word reviews, ****__****please********. I'm not saying you have to write me an essay but if all you have to say is update, awesome, loved it, ****__****Kawaii********,****__**** Garra iz hawt!******** or anything to that effect; then please know it's the thought that counts. Seriously, please ****__****do not ********spam my inbox like that. I don't appreciate it.**


	25. Chapter 25: Of Things to Come

**AN: Well, this is the second to last chapter before the action really starts, I hope y'all enjoy! Thanks again to: crystalvenom19, maneatingraccoon, leogirl321, KillerCloudKunoichi, GaaraHorses4ever, sprite21, FriendlyLittleDemon, UnForGettable323, Fushia Flame, and all the others. Thanks guys, I appreciate your interest. This chapter was rewritten: 3-14-2013**

**So you all know this will be my last update for some time. I'm now in the beginning of my busy season with training and riding lessons so I just don't have the time to write at this point. In fact this chapter was finished almost a month ago but I just didn't have the time to post it. Sorry guys, I'll return as soon as I can manage. **

**Disclaimer: Naruto = not mine. Kida and Shadow = mine, the poor dears.**

_"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." _

-Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

**Chapter 25: Of Things to Come**

_Cold_. Everything was so very, very cold. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of pale, lifeless dirt under my cheek. The grit was the color of ash and blew weightlessly as I breathed out. Shivering I sat up, rubbing the gooseflesh on my arms. I looked around the unfamiliar, abandoned, clearing in confusion. _How did I get here? Where _is _here?_

"Hello?" I called, and was greeted by the resounding echo of my own voice. Repeating my call to me a few spares times before fading away into nothingness. Swallowing dryly I stood and looked around, trying to see if there was someone hidden amongst the gray trees. A twig snapped from somewhere in the distance, echoing as forlornly as my voice had moments ago.

"Is someone there? Gaara?" growing worried I called into the flat, dead looking trees. "…Shadow? Is that you boy?" _What's going on? Why is it so cold? _I clutched my arms tightly to my chest and folded my numb fingers to my sides, trying to hold in my body-heat and stave off the chill.

Another small snap echoed crisply in the frigid air, this time from farther away. "If someone's there, please say something!" I demanded, not liking this pregnant silence. Searching the stony trees and their choking black shadows bore no more answers than the flat, gray, skyline above. More than anything it was the emptiness in the air that was unsettling. No birds sang, nor crickets chirped. The quiet just hung there, its silence was glaring, and pounded heavily on my ears. "Please…is there anyone out there?"

Once more my voice came back to me, sounding more pathetic and lonely with every forlorn retelling. "Please," I whispered almost to myself.

"Kida…" a voice called from the trees so softly that it didn't echo.

Instantly I felt better, ignoring the cold as I called back, "Gaara, is that you?" Silence greeted me again. I walked to the edge of the lifeless trees and stopped just inches away from their slate bark.

"Gaara…?" I called into the black depths, willing the boy to appear in the shrouded darkness. Subconsciously I leaned closer to the dense shadows, my nose almost touching the black void beyond the trees.

My ears strained to hear his voice, my eyes to see the outline of his pale face. Every nerve was on fire, so attuned I was to the wall of nothing beyond. A faint rustle of leaves not far off in the shadows reached my straining ears, and without a further thought I plunged into the wall. Blindly I ran, pushing my way past the low branches that grabbed at my hair and smacked at my face, and ignored the thorny bushes that ripped at my pants and stung my arms.

"Gaara!" I called desperately as I stumbled through the brush and tangled roots. I ran, and ran, and ran…Pushing through the thick underbrush with a single-minded ferocity. I didn't know why I was running. I didn't understand this need to find Gaara. All I knew was he was in here, somewhere, and I had to find him. Dimly I knew there was something wrong, that something was out of the ordinary, but that tiny niggling thought was completely overshadowed by the drive that demanded I find him, no matter what.

The branches that slapped my face and bushes that pulled at my legs were nothing; the pain they caused was dull and unfocused. I ran with both speed I didn't know I possessed and with such lethargy that it was maddening. Somehow I both blazed past the grabbing branches and yet slogged slowly through the bushes. The sensation would have been nauseating had I not been so otherwise focused.

"Gaara!" I gasped through heavy pants.

My breath came in short puffs, my chest aching for more air, but for some reason my heart thumped a loud, clear beat in my skull; its pace was slow and even. It made no sense. How could it sound so loud as to fill my ears and block out all other sound and yet be so slow? _Something's wrong._

"Gaara!" I shouted again, spitting out a mouthful of leaves. Coming to a stop I called as loudly as I could, searching blindly in the darkness for any sign of him. "Gaara where are you?" Again no answer came, and now I was surrounded by the darkness. Only faint, blotted outlines could be seen in any given direction. A splint of fear ran up my spine. _Now what?_

Fighting back the fear that clamped down on my throat I looked around, studiously ignoring the thin branches that felt like bony fingers pulling at my hair, touching my face, and tickling my exposed arms with their sharp, damp points. The air felt even colder here, and I wondered briefly if there had been enough light if I could have seen my breath.

Nothing…_nothing _could clearly be seen in this abyss of shadows. I was stuck here. Worry gnawed at my insides, knotting my stomach and setting my legs to trembling. I tried to swallow back the dirty taste in my mouth, but my throat was too pinched, my tongue too dry. "Gaara…" I all but whimpered.

Another snap clearly sounded from my right. Hopeful, I looked in its direction. There, far in the distance, was a faint, minuscule point of light. No, not light, more like a spot of gray in the otherwise pitch darkness. The sight of that dim speck bolstered my spirits, erased my fears and doubt. _Gaara, I'm coming… _I started sprinting towards that beautiful gray splotch. Gaining speed as it gained volume. He was there, I knew it with a certainty that couldn't be questioned nor denied. Gaara was there, and that's where I had to be.

The splotch grew bigger the closer I got, its center become more distinct as its edges bloomed further out. In a few more strides I could see the clearing up ahead, and beyond the scrappy branches I could see there was someone standing in the center of the little field. _Gaara_. My heart squeezed happily and a smile lit my face. It was going to be okay, Gaara was here.

I broke from the shadows, my relived smile still touching my lips, but it melted away when I got a closer look at the figure I'd seen from the trees. This wasn't Gaara…this wasn't even human. Some sort of tawny animal crouched before me facing the other way. Its heavy mass was supported by huge paws that ended in sharp points. _What is that thing? _I stepped back in fear, and a twig broke under my foot.

The creature stiffened and my heart skipped a beat. It turned its ugly head so slow the movement was almost arcane. Baring serrated teeth it grinned at me over its shoulder, one golden eye fixed on me. A scream lodged itself in my throat and a terror so cold it matched the near freezing temperature of the trees held me in place. I couldn't cry for help, I couldn't run. All I could do was look on in glassy-eyed horror as the yellow eyed beast raised one tawny claw and struck me down. Its nails ripped my side open; the force behind the impact shattered my rib cage and sent me flying into a tree. My head struck the unforgiving bark with such speed that I didn't have time to feel any of my wounds before the world went dark…

xxxxxxx

I opened my eyes with a gasp; sitting up quickly my hand went straight to my side, feeling for a wound that wasn't there. My heart pounded frantically in my ears, and the warm sun beating down on me felt uncomfortably hot. Sounds of birds arguing in the distant treetops and the lazy buzzing of a single fly filled my ears.

_What? What was that? Was I, had I been…dreaming? _Swallowing dryly I closed my eyes, breathing deeply I tasted the air. It was so alive, so full of fragrances, so very different then the sterile world of my nightmare. The sun beat warmly on my bowed head, erasing the left over chill with its gentle touch; soaking deliciously into each strand of my hair. _It was only a dream. Just a stupid, awful, horrible dream…It wasn't real. This is real, this is reality. Only a dream, it was only a dream-_

Something warm shifting against my thigh distracted me from my self assurances. Too frightened to gasp, I snapped my head around and stared down, bugy-eyed at, to my surprise, Gaara. He was watching me with blank eyes, taking in my startled appearance with an easy acceptance that, had I been more clear-headed, I would have found irritating. I was so stunned to see him that I croaked a surprised, "Gaara?"

_What is he- oh_… The memories of the night before came flooding back to me. My cheeks flushed when I remembered asking Gaara to stay with me. I had half expected him to leave at some point while I was sleeping. "You stayed the whole night?" I asked him groggily and wasn't surprised when he didn't answer but rather continued to fix me with a silent stare.

"Right, dumb question," I sighed rubbing my eyes. Standing up and stretching I rolled my shoulders, stiff from not moving in my sleep. I yawned loudly picking up Shadows bridle before starting towards him; he stood a little ways off dozing with one heavy hind foot cocked. "So you still don't sleep, huh?" I asked offhandedly over my shoulder.

"You already know that, so why ask?" Gaara rose as well and fixed me with a now irritated look.

Turning away from him I rolled my eyes. _Good morning to you too, Sunshine_. "I'm just trying to make conversation before you decide to disappear on me again," I said stiffly while I slipped the bit into Shadows mouth. He champed at the cold metal, and sighed as he felt me slip his soft ears into place in the headstall. Stroking his black neck softly I smiled apologetically at him.

"Hn," Gaara huffed behind me.

Turning around I led Shadow to where his saddle sat. "You are aware that 'hn' isn't actually a word, right?" I teased while leaning down and picking up my saddle rug and pad, and dusting them off before throwing them onto Shadow. I glanced back at Gaara with a playful grin. He on the other hand was still fixing me with an irritated look. Sticking my tongue out at him and laughing at his returning scowl, I threw the saddle on next. Still chuckling to myself as I tightened the girth and pulled the breast collar into place.

"You need to lighten up," I joked while tying my blanket back on with my saddle strings. "Here," I said pulling out a chunk of jerky from my small bag attached to the horn and handing it to Gaara. "You'll be less grumpy after you've had something to eat." Reaching up on my tiptoes I ruffled his hair quickly. Spinning around before he could swat me away I walked back to Shadow.

Stepping into the stirrup and swinging into place on the black gelding's back I smiled down at Gaara, who was giving me an incredulous look. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, could you point me in the direction back to the Leaf? I'm afraid I got a little turned last night." Pausing I blushed and leaned forward to untangle a twig from Shadows short, scruffy mane. "I must have been a little distracted…"

Gaara looked down at the jerky in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment. Turning his attention back to me he pointed to the left. "The village is back that way."

_Damn, those ninja powers of his are awesome! He didn't even have to climb up a tree to know what way to go or anything. It must be because of all the words he stores up to turn into jutsus later. _I sent another big smile his way, overjoyed with the real world this morning after my nightmare. The details of which were already growing foggy in my mind's eye.

"Thanks," I chirped. "I'm going to start heading back now, since it'll take longer for me and Shadow to get back in tim- than it will for you." I had almost slipped up and mentioned the exams. As far as Gaara knew I wasn't going, and at the moment I was in too good of a mood to argue.

He nodded before reaching into his pocket, dropping the jerky I'd given him inside, and started to crouch. "Wait!" I stopped him just as he was bending low on his knees.

Pausing he fixed me with an open stare. "What?"

Fighting back a rogue blush I forced myself to look him dead in the eye. "I just wanted to say good luck today. I'm rooting for ya." A weighted look entered his eyes and I could tell there was something on his mind, but before I could ask what he mumbled something too quiet for me to hear and disappeared in a blur of motion.

Blinking I stared at the spot where he had been standing, again trying to process that he was already long gone in a span of a few seconds. "Effing _ninjas_," I grumbled under my breath shaking my head. With a sigh I looked down at Shadow, who was apparently trying to fall back asleep. "Wake up, boy," I said squeezing his ribs. "It's time to get going." Turning Shadow to the left, we made our way back to the village, where the chunin exams awaited.

**AN: So, I'm guessing most of you guys were surprised to find that the first part of this chapter was a dream, am I right? After all this time we're finally at the exams! Or at least the day of the exams, it's not going to be easy for Kida for a little while. And to top it off Gaara did something to her in this chapter that will be made clear in the next, but why don't you guys try hazarding a guess? ;) I doubt you'll figure it out, lol.**

**Anyway the usual tirade goes here: If you don't having anything to say that isn't obnoxious then please keep the review to yourself. I'm not the kind of person who wants a thousand "So cute!", "Beautiful", "Gaara is hawt", "Update soon", ect for reviews. If that's all you have to say then do keep it to yourself, please. To the rest of you (And you know who you are!) thanks for reading! And please, let me know if you found any mistakes.**


	26. Chapter 26: A Heavy Conscious

******AN: Note to all my old readers (if there are any of you still left) Wild One has undergone a drastic rewrite, and I advise that you reread this story as there have been some changes. Sorry for the long wait. Well, this is the last chapter before the action really starts, I hope y'all enjoy! Thanks guys, I appreciate your interest.**

******Disclaimer: Kida is mine. Naruto? Eh, not so much.**

**"_A man who has never made a women angry is a failure in life."_**

**_-Christopher Morley_**

******Chapter 26: A Heavy Conscious **

The suns gentle rays warmed my back and shoulders as I swung along with Shadows lazy, plodding gait. We made slow, but steady, progress back to the village, quietly enjoying the peaceful trail we'd found that would hopefully lead us to the main road soon. A few short hours had passed since Gaara and I had parted ways but I already felt guilty for lying to him about not going to the exams. I knew it was silly, and he was being oddly over protective about my coming, but it still felt wrong to lie to him.

That was partially why I had chosen such an easy pace back to the village. My excitement was twisted with guilt and because of that our pace had gradually slowed to this sluggish crawl. Bitterly I grimaced and squeezed Shadow's sides to hurry him along. Making him lengthen his stride helped me swallow back the stupid, nagging thoughts that what I was doing was deceitful.

_This is ridiculous, the only reason I even came to The Leaf was to see these damned exams. It's stupid to feel guilty about going, insane. There is ____no __reason __that I shouldn't go. Surely Gaara will see that once it's over with and too late do anything about it._ I repeated that thought in my head, convincing myself that there was no way he could see it differently. _Even if he can be an idiot at times…most of the time…pretty much _all_ the time._

Pulling my lips into a grim smile I tried not to think about how he would react to my coming against his wishes. He was going to be pissed, but if he had any common sense he should have realized by now that I'm not going to take any orders. Had there not been so much concern on his face, albeit half crazed and unfocused, I would have argued against his cracked logic. My refusal would have been made known as boisterously and _stubbornly_ as needed.

Of course that was where my guilty conscience stemmed from. Knowing, for whatever reason, in that crazy head of his there was real concern for me, and knowing that I was going against his sincere wish to keep me safe made my stomach twist uncomfortably. If he had just been his usually bossy-self it would have been easier to ignore him. _I just can't fathom why he is against me coming, and I'm fairly certain that if I keep trying to unravel his thoughts I'll end up being the crazy one._

Sighing I leaned over Shadow's neck, ducking yet another low hanging tree-branch along the deer path. Sitting up and looking ahead I could finally see the road through the trees not far from where I was. Again my excitement was riddled with guilt, but with determination I urged Shadow on again. He lumbered from his heavy footed walk into a ground eating, but bouncy, trot.

We broke from the crowded trees and onto the wide dirt road. Immediately turning left I kept Shadow at a jog, and felt his stride begin to lengthen as is muscles warmed and loosened up. His head came up with his ears pricked forward and alert, excited by the new-found purpose in our ride. Taking a deep seat I pitched my hips to match his jarring rhythm. As he pulled us up along the sudden rise of a steep hill I leaned forward to help keep him balanced.

It took only a few short minutes before we rounded the next bend, and I was heartened by the sight of a wooden road-sign along the path. Eagerly I pulled Shadow to a stop and read the neatly sprawled lettering across its face: Konohagakure. A clean white arrow just bellow the name pointed back the way we had come.

Slowly I blinked at the bold print, thinking at first that I was misreading the simple, single worded sign. Achingly slow I looked over my shoulder, and to my growing horror saw the majestic wall that protected The Leaf village rising proudly into the skyline.

___Left. He said to go left… But…but the village was to the right._

Numbly I cast my eyes to the sky, searching for the suns position. Its light shown from directly above, obviously high-noon. Even if I were to arrive now I would be lucky to get there by the end of the first match, and now the village had to be at least five miles away. I would be lucky to make it in time for the final match.

Anger licked at my veins, scorching its way through my limbs and banishing my previous guilt. _He pointed me in the wrong direction on purpose... This whole time ____I __felt wretched for ____lying __to _him_ when all the while ____he __had been the one ____lying __to __me____! _Furious with Gaara's betrayal my throat felt constricted, making it nearly impossible to swallow.

All but vibrating with fury I pulled my reins short and swung Shadow around. The fire of my anger lending purpose to my limbs. "Get moving," I snapped at Shadow as I clamped down sharply on his ribs. With a snort he jumped into a rolling canter, his thick neck bobbing up and down and his ears pinned in irritation at my harsh treatment. Dimly I felt guilty and allowed him to slow down to a more comfortable lope, trying not to let my anger at Gaara further leak into my hands. Forcing my fingers to relax their hold on his mouth, I let the reins slide to an easier length. My anger would be better spent on Gaara.

_Guilt be _damned_, when I find that boy I'm going to __throttle __him._

**I know it's short but at least it's better than nothing. Besides there wasn't much to say here other than Kida was going to be late. There are two reasons I did this. The first being that it gave me a reason to piss Kida off, the second is that I didn't want to write out the _whole_ chunnin exams.**

******Anyway the usual tirade goes here: If you don't having anything to say that isn't obnoxious then please keep the review to yourself. I'm not the kind of person who wants a thousand "So cute!", "Beautiful", "Gaara is hawt", "Update soon", ect for reviews. If that's all you have to say then do keep it to yourself, please. To the rest of you (And you know who you are!) thanks for reading!**


	27. Chapter 27: The Beginnings of War

**AN: Well how about it, an update without waiting two years? Who knew I was capable. Anyway this is what y'all have been waiting so long for, sort of. At least this chapter is longer than the last. But for now, let the action begin!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of its characters. Kida, however is mine.**

"_Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."_

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

**Chapter 27: The Beginnings of War**

Dust rose and gravel crunched beneath Shadow's heavy hooves as I pulled him to a hasty stop just outside the arena's gate. In a rush I slid from my saddle and grabbed the reins, ignoring Shadows mulish pull against me as I jogged to the nearest tree. My fumbling fingers clumsily tied the leather straps, and barely succeeded to not drop them. As soon as the reins were knotted I turned and sprinted for the stadium. _At the rate this is going I'll be lucky to make it in time to even see the _last_ match! _With each panted breath I imagined ways to get back at Gaara for his betrayal.

Pant._ Push him down a flight of stairs. _Gulp._ Run him over with Shadow. _Wheeze._ Drop a scorpion down his shirt. _Gasp._ Make him a stew of wasabi, red chili, onion, and sardines...Perfect._ My lips twitched into a quick smile as I raced up the steps to the entrance and through the open doorway. I pretended not to see the guards laugh knowingly at the disheveled civilian rushing past them, ignoring the mocking cries of, "Run girl, run!" that followed me down the long hall. _Stupid bastards. _

My footsteps echoed loudly through the concrete walls as I ran, drowning out the sound of my heavy breathing with a rhythmic slap. Inside the air was cooler and I welcomed the feel of it against my flushed skin. I sprinted with breakneck speed down the empty corridor, but was so distracted by the wonderfully crisp breeze that I ran right past the entry to the stairwell.

_Shit!_

I slid to a stop and narrowly avoided falling head over heels in my haste. Turning back around I flung myself up the steps, taking them two or three at a time. I'd reached the end of the fifth flight and was almost halfway up the sixth when someone-else rounded the bend. The person slowly walking down the stairs was dressed all in black, and had a large calabash gourd strapped to his back. _Gaara?_ Once again I found myself skidding to an abrupt halt. Mouth hanging open in shock I gaped at him as he methodically descended the stairs. I hadn't expected to run into the person responsible for my ire here of all places. _Maybe I'll get to push that son of a bitch down a flight of stairs after all._

"_You!"_ I snapped venomously, righteous anger flaring to life and setting my blood to boiling. "I am so angry with you right now that I could spit! Because of you I'll be lucky if there is even a _single_ match left! I should-" The look I saw on Gaara's face cut my rant off short. A sadistic smile stretched across his thin lips that I hadn't seen since the night I was attacked. Its pointed edges held the same dark promises of pain as it had before. His face was twisted into something hideous, and a demonic flame burned in his usually expressionless eyes. I could almost see the demented and scattered thoughts racing across his unsound mind like broken bits of glass, all fragmented and sharp.

Worry cooled the fires of my temper, concern taking the place of rage. "Gaara?" I asked uncertainly as he approached. "Gaara are you oka-" a sudden pressure against my throat cut me off, forcing the air from my lungs like a blow to the chest. The weight grew heavier with each step that he took, and I swallowed dryly, struggling to breathe. I knew what this was, this invisible force of nature that was bearing down on me. On several occasions I'd sensed this energy, his chakra, as the shinobi would have called it. But this wasn't like the other times I'd felt it, felt him. Before it had always just been there, existing quietly, almost like a second shadow, nothing more than a part of the background other than the occasional stirring of energy. But not this time.

Now it felt like a tsunami, an unstoppable, crushing force not so unlike his bloodstained sand. I could feel his chakra rolling off of him in violent waves, thrashing against me from all sides. Almost suffocating me by his presence alone. The torrent scratched against my flushed skin, scraping at my arms and face like twisted fingers. Pushing and pulling me from all sides. The weight grew stronger as he got closer until my knees shook under the strain. "Gaara," I gasped, clutching the handrail with a white knuckled fist in an attempt to stay on my feet.

Sweat dripped into my eyes in thick globs and drenched my hair. I gasped for breath, fighting against the terrible weight on my lungs; almost unbearable now that he was mere feet away. He was close enough that I could have reached out and touched him if I'd had the strength to lift my arm. I looked into his cruelly twisted face and searched his burning eyes for any sort of recognition, any sign that he even saw me, but found none. Only madness lurked in those haunted, bloodshot eyes.

My heart clenched in my chest and I swallowed dryly. _He doesn't see me, he doesn't even know that I'm here._ The hem of his shirt sleeve lightly brushed my arm as he walked by. A faint whisper of cloth in the otherwise quiet stairwell. The tension began to ease as he continued down the steps and soon I was able to move again. Sucking in ragged breaths I looked over my shoulder as the last of the overwhelming pressure faded only to see the stairwell behind me empty.

Leaning against the cold concrete wall I gulped in deep lungfuls of air as quickly as I could. _Gaara...what's __happening__ to you?_ Shivering I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop my shaking. _Was this why he wanted me to stay away? Oh, Gaara...why didn't you tell me there was something wrong? What if he gets hurt? He wasn't even aware that I was standing right in front of him, so how is he supposed to protect himself in a fight?_ Worry knotted my stomach, and I tasted bile in the back of my throat. _This is bad, this is really, really bad._

Pushing myself off the wall I continued my mad dash up the stairs to the spectators seats. If Gaara was heading down, it likely meant that his match was next. I had to be there, I needed to know that he'd be okay. The next landing up led into a glaringly bright, sunlit hall. I ran down it, racing for the open platform at the end, ignoring the sharp sting of my feet hitting the unforgiving concrete. My footsteps echoed loudly off the stark-white walls, but was quickly drowned out by the eruptive cheering of the crowd.

Once I'd reached the exit I slowed to a walk and looked around. The immense size of the mob was overwhelming, and the sound of so many people yelling was thunderous. Nearly all that was said by any individual person was lost in the massive torrent of sound. Only a few fragmented bits and pieces could be understood amid the crowd, a few scattered "Go for it, Sasuke!" or "I've got money on you, Sand kid!" the rest was an unidentifiable mass of noise. It crashed against my ears and thrummed so loudly that I could feel the uproar vibrate in my bones, echoing through me in unison with my frantic heartbeat. As if the roar of the spectators wasn't enough the stuffy smell of popcorn was almost suffocating.

I stared in awe at the amount of people who'd turned up, gaping transfixed at the masses for a moment before I was able to tear my eyes away. Looking down below I could see the stadium, but from this angle I couldn't make out where Gaara and Sasuke were. I jogged up to the guard rail and grabbed it, ignoring the baking hot metal as it burned my hands. Leaning over I looked down, squinting my eyes against the suns harsh glare. After a moment I was able to see them standing down at the center of the arena, and with them were two older men that I didn't recognize talking to each other.

_What's going on? What are they talking about? Argh... I wish everyone would shut the hell up so I can hear what they're saying!_

My grip on the burning handrail tightened and I chewed on the inside of my lip._ I don't understand, what are they-_ but my thought derailed when the gray-haired man suddenly disappeared from sight. The other guy turned to the competitors and appeared to be saying something to Sasuke and Gaara, but from the looks of things neither one was paying him much attention. They were too busy glaring intensely at each other. After a gesture from who I assumed was the competitions Procter the two approached each other, and as they did the crowd immediately quieted. The air dripped thickly with anticipation, and I could suddenly hear the sound of a fly buzzing lazily above a nearby garbage can. The silence was almost louder than the cheering.

Without warning the older man slashed at the air with his arm and jumped back before disappearing much the same way as the other seasoned ninja had. Sand launched from Gaara's gourd and twisted in the air above him, squirming fluidly like a living creature. In the same movement Sasuke had already leapt backwards, standing at a safe distance from the reach of Gaara's sand.

A violent shudder racked Gaara's body and he grabbed at his head. One hand clasped claw-like over his right eye, and it looked as though he were talking to himself. Even though the crowd was no longer screaming the distance was still too great for me to hear what was being said. Though the disgusted look on Sasuke's face and the perverse smile on Gaara's spoke volumes.

_Gaara? What's wrong with you?_ An almost instinctual desire to go to him tugged at my limbs, and I had to grip the rail tighter to fight the idiotic temptation.

A whole body spasm seemed to overtake Gaara, and the hand that he'd had fisted against his skull now grasped at the empty air before his face. His shoulders shuddered and the sand that had been floating above him fell to the ground in a lifeless heap and laid there, motionless. He stood slumped over and panted with his arms hanging limply in front of him. After a moment he looked back up to Sasuke and said something directly to him this time, and the sand at his feet slowly began to rise once more. This time it quivered at his knees like an obedient dog, twitchily awaiting a signal from its master. Almost boredly Gaara crossed his arms as they stood staring each other down. I could feel the tensions risings, static seemed to bite at my own limbs and made the hair on the back of my arms and neck stand up.

In a sudden blur of motion Sasuke reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of shuriken, and flung them with surprising speed towards Gaara's face. Seemingly without effort a wave of sand rose and swallowed them, and as soon as the metal stars touched the barrier the sand morphed into a second Gaara. My grip on the rail loosened and I blinked in surprise._ I didn't know he could do that._

The twin made of sand stood between Sasuke and the real Gaara. Heedless of this Sasuke rushed in, and was almost struck down by a violent explosion of sand from the clone's chest. Sasuke jumped high into the air and the duplicate flung the shuriken back at him. The Leaf genin stopped the assault with a second set of stars and came down from his leap with a violent kick to the doubles head. The fake Gaara lost both his arms defending itself from the savage attack. The moment Sasuke's hands touched the ground he twisted around and was on his feet again, and was once more on the attack. His fist slashed violently through the clones neck, and I was immensely grateful that it wasn't the real Gaara that received what would have been a devastating blow.

A startled look twisted across Sasuke's face as he tried to pull his arm free of the sand, only to find that he was stuck. The clone smiled wickedly at him, but before it could take advantage of the situation Sasuke had already destroyed it with his other hand and was free again. Not wasting a moment now that the way was cleared he lunged at the silently waiting Gaara with his fist already drawn back. Nervously chewing my lip I tried to take comfort from the fact that Gaara had not bothered to so much as uncross his arms.

Sasuke's fist flew at Gaara's face, but just before he would have made contact a wall of sand rose up to protect him. I'd expected his hand to come crashing down into Gaara's sand shield once more, but at the last possible second Sasuke disappeared in a blur of motion and reappeared behind him. Gaara hardly had time to turn his head around, his expression rapidly shifting from shocked to worried, before Sasuke delivered a punishing blow to his cheek that sent him flying.

The solid punch had him crashing to the ground faster and harder than his sand could protect him. Gaara hit the dirt and rolled, but somehow managed to land in a crouch. He glared up at Sasuke thoughtfully as his opponent took up a fighting stance, waiting smugly for the shorter boy to make his move. The two faced off like this tensely before Sasuke appeared to lose his patience with the sand shinobi.

Lunging at Gaara again he dodged around another wave of sand before appearing behind him once more. Evading the golden onslaught Sasuke twisted around until he was close enough to manage a powerful kick to Gaara's chest. Once again the Suna nin went flying, and a frantic wave of sand tried in vain to stop him from crashing into the stadium wall. As the dust settled he lifted himself into another crouch, and barely had time to get his back away from the retaining wall before Sasuke was at it again. This time running dizzying circles around Gaara.

Quicker than the eye could follow he slipped again past the sands defense, swiftly kicking Gaara in the face before he could do any more than flinch. Sasuke grabbed fistfuls of Gaara's clothes as he stumbled backwards and struck again, fast as a snake. Pulling Gaara towards him as he savagely thrust his knee into his gut. Digging deeply into his abdomen so that spit flew from Gaara's mouth and his grunt of pain could be heard all the way up to the stands.

I looked away cringing as yet again Gaara hit the ground and rolled. The crowd exploded in approval while I stood rooted to the spot, trying to blink back tears. _This isn't what I wanted. I'd come to see the exams to have a good time, to see the newest shinobi show what they were made of. I hadn't put any thought into that Gaara might _actually_ be hurt. Sure, I'd joked about it, but the reality of it was quite __another thing. _The possibility of him being beaten to a pulp before my eyes hadn't even crossed my mind, and now seeing it... this just wasn't fun anymore. _Why did I so badly want to see this?_

"Gaara..." I whispered to myself. Clasping my hands together in front of me I wrung at my fingers. I didn't even care anymore that I was supposed to be mad at him for tricking me. That seemed so petty and unimportant now. Grabbing a stray curl from my face and twisting it around my fingers I looked back to the match. By now Gaara had gotten back to his feet and was finally making a hand sign, hopefully this meant an end to the one-sided beating. The sand slithered up forming a molted dome all around Gaara, completely hiding him from sight. Sasuke sprinted forward, trying to get to Gaara before the sand finished sealing. He might have made it too if the dome's outer surface hadn't turned into a layer of jagged spikes.

Sasuke panted, frozen in place around the pikes that had nearly skewered him. With a fast jerk he jumped back, safely out of the sands reach once again. Staring at the impenetrable wall he fought to catch his breath, flinching when a second, smaller, ball of sand took shape in the air above. It transformed into a wide, staring eye, fixing its soulless gaze down on the leaf genin.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to regather his courage, for he lunged again at the giant ball of sand with a determined battle cry. He threw a set of knives valiantly at the shield before leaping over the top of it, but they fell uselessly to the ground without so much as leaving a scratch. Appearing around the backside Sasuke charged the dome, dodging between spikes to try punching at the wall again. Once more he had to lunge back before he was ran through by the sand. Only this time the skewers chased after him, and only by being lighter of foot than I'd ever seen anyone in my life did he escape capture. Leaping into the air again Sasuke jumped to the top of the shield, this time narrowly avoiding being stabbed from below.

A ragged sigh of relief escaped my lips. _At least now I shouldn't have to worry too much about Gaara getting hurt anymore, but how long can he just sit there? Is he buying time to come up with a plan? Or is he just out of options? Maybe he's just waiting for Sasuke to wear himself down, or for him to make a mistake and get caught? Whatever he's doing I just hope he hurries up. I don't like the stance Sasuke is taking, nor his smile._

I watched with worried eyes as the leaf nin flipped backwards towards the arena's edge before jumping nearly to the top of the amphitheater's wall. He was so far away he now looked like a speck from down here. The silence stretched on, and I nervously started to twist my hair again. _I don't like the look of this._ _What is he doing up ther- _My thought was abruptly interrupted as Sasuke's hands quite literally sparked to life. Electricity danced wickedly at the end of his arms, cracking the plaster wall beneath them and screeching so loudly that it could be heard even all the way down here. It sounded like a flock of birds screaming.

Sasuke ran down the wall, dragging his laden arm behind him, and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. My stomach twisted in distress as I watched him make his way directly for Gaara. He hit the ground level in an explosion of dust, and charged onwards toward Gaara, screaming a battle cry as he went. As he reached the dome the sand launched its own attack, but Sasuke dodged between the deadly spikes with inhuman speed. Thrusting his glowing fist directly into the shield he pierced the crust with a sickening crunch, and shards of clay flew in all directions.

For quite sometime he stayed like that, frozen elbow-deep in Gaara's shield. As the seconds drug on the crowd grew restless, people began to whisper amongst themselves. I didn't even try to pick out any individual words, letting the voices all melt into the background. Instead I focused on the pair down in the stadium as worry numbed my body, and what felt like icy fingers squeezed into my heart until every loud beat was painful.

"_Aaahhhhh! Blooood! It's my bloood!"_

"_Gaara!"_ I screamed, leaning over the guard rail. _He's hurt! Gaara's been hurt!_ With horrified eyes I watched as the leaf genin struggled to pull free from the sands vice-like grip. With a savage growl Sasuke ignited his arm again, and I could hear Gaara's screams of agony even over the sound of chirping birds. "No!" _He's going to kill him!_ I shoved myself from the rail and turned, sprinting back to the stairs. Ignoring the sudden gasp from the crowd I ran on, knowing that whatever it was they saw couldn't be good. _Hang on,_ _Gaara! I'm coming!_

**AN: Oh, Kida. Just what the hell do you think you're going to do to save Gaara? Oh well, there it is. I hope you guys liked it, because this was awful to write. I had to spend hours studying this scene from the anime as I wrote this chapter. Good grief, I never want to do that again. Anyway I hope it isn't too boring.**

**If you spotted any mistakes please let me know! I don't have a beta anymore so I'm flying solo here, and no, I don't want a new one. No one could replace the last. *Sniff* Anyway, do feel free to review! Thanks for reading!**


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